By Tope Banso
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR
“Then he said, ‘Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors — empty vessels; do not gather just a few’” (2 Kings 4:3 New King James Version).
There will always be good neighbours and bad neighbours because there are good people and bad people! Be sure you’re a good neighbour. Learn to live in peace with the good neighbours and the bad neighbours. The Bible says, as much as it lies within your power, live in peace with all (Romans 12:18).
Many times, the Bible says love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). This also applies to those you’re living close to each other.
David said, “Do not take me away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts” (Psalm 28:3 New King James Version). Don’t be such a neighbour, full of malice and mischief.
Sometimes what happens to your neighbours affects you and vice versa. Therefore, be interested in their well-being, even the difficult ones among them. Don’t try to live in isolation, but don’t be a nuisance to your neighbours. Proverbs 25:17 says, “Don’t visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome” (New Living Translation).
Don’t hold the belief that you don’t need your neighbours. That may appear to be true for some time, but a day will come when you’ll see that you need them and that is not the right time to try to be a good neighbour.
Sometimes your neighbours will need you; at another time, you may need them. This may even be in the smallest matter. Nobody is self-sufficient. Don’t despise any of your neighbours. Don’t be full of yourself. Don’t be snobbish.
In 2 Kings 4, the widow of one of the sons of the prophets suddenly needed her neighbours. It wasn’t food or money she needed from them. She didn’t need any of them to help her train the two sons her husband left behind. Neither did she expect anyone to help pay the debt her late husband owed. She knew she must pay it back or else the creditor would take away her sons. What she needed were empty vessels or containers. She needed many.
She had run to Prophet Elisha because the creditor was coming to take away her two sons. Elisha asked her what she had in the house. She said that she had nothing except a jar of oil.
“Then he said, ‘Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors — empty vessels; do not gather just a few’” (2 Kings 4:3 New King James Version). Did you see that? If she had in any way felt that she wouldn’t need her neighbours for anything, she had been proved wrong. There was no single person that could have the number of empty vessels or containers that Elisha had in mind and asked her to get.
She must go to her neighbours one after the other and beg for empty vessels. And that was what she did. If she had been a bad neighbour, she would have a problem approaching them for help. She would not have the confidence to go and borrow the empty vessels from them. Even if she summoned the courage, some of them might not lend her. They might want to punish her for being a bad neighbour.
But from the story, the neighbours lent her their empty vessels. She followed Elisha’s instructions. “And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones. So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’And he said to her, ‘There is not another vessel.’ So the oil ceased” (2 Kings 4:4-6 New King James Version).
The woman went back to Elisha to tell him what had happened. He told her to go and sell the oil, pay her debt; and she and her sons should live on the rest. The number of empty vessels the woman was able to borrow determined how much money she got through this miracle of abundant oil.
Thank God for using His servant, Elisha, to give this woman a prophetic instruction. Thank God that the woman also obeyed. But this woman’s neighbours also played an important role in the miracle this woman enjoyed. They made available the empty vessels she used. I’m sure she would be extremely grateful to them, thereafter, when returning their vessels.
Proverbs 14:21a says, “It is sin to despise one’s neighbors” (New Living Translation). Don’t look down on your neighbours; you may need them soon or one day. Don’t be disconnected from your neighbours, but don’t also be meddlesome.
David lamented in Psalm 12:2 that neighbours lied to each other, speaking with flattering lips and insincere hearts. Don’t be such a neighbour and beware of lying neighbours or neighbours who flatter or are insincere. Don’t lie against your neighbours (Proverbs 24:28). Avoid gossip.
Be a good neighbour. “Do not plot against your neighbors, for they trust you” (Proverbs 3:29 New Living Translation). Don’t fight with your neighours. You’re all temporary residents on earth. Nobody is perfect; therefore, resolve misunderstandings peacefully and quickly. Don’t let them linger on.
Promote peace among your neighbours. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God (Matthew 5:9). Work for peace. Of course, there are difficult neighbours. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to walk in love towards them.
Rejoice with neighbours who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). “Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are. If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right” (Verses 16-17 New Century Version).
Support good causes jointly embarked on by neighbours. Don’t have a reputation of not being cooperative. This message is also applicable to your relationship with all your other neighbours, generally – other human beings. Be a good neighbour. Without compromising the Word of God, get along with your neighbours.
PRAYER POINT: I shall be a good neighbour and live in peace with my neighbours, including the difficult ones, in Jesus’ name.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For over 250 in-depth and insightful messages by T.O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪ Banso, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
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