Did you do what I told you to do? Why don’t you listen? Why are you so hard-headed? Stop it now! I’m tired of telling you the same thing over and over again!
Do any of these sound familiar to you from childhood? What was your guardian’s reaction to your disobedience? Or, are you now the guardian frustrated with your child’s behavior? What consequence did you deliver? Or, do they sound familiar because you’ve heard these from God?
Is God Frustrated with You
How would you feel if God was as frustrated with you as you have been with your children? Employees? Colleagues? Let that sit for a minute. God, our Provider, Healer, Life-Giver, Salvation, Holy Father & Mother, is frustrated with your behavior.
Honestly, the thought is devastating. Just as I never wanted to disappoint my mother or teachers or supervisors, I don’t want to cause my God frustration and disappointment.
How can we avoid frustrating God? The simple, yet difficult, answer is in Isaiah 1:16b: “Stop doing wrong.”
Stop Doing Wrong
God asks for our obedience, to do what is right (Micah 6:8). Therefore, any move away from God, any action counter to God’s will, any word that dishonors God, is wrong. As I mentioned in Job Description: My One Duty as Assigned, God has shown us what is right in 600+ commandments. The ten commandments provide a summary. And Jesus’ response when asked what the greatest commandment is makes it even more simple for us to stop doing wrong: we must love God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39).
We know who God is. But do we know who our neighbor is? So that we can be clear about doing right, let’s examine “neighbor.”
Who is Our Neighbor
Our neighbor is everyone. Not just the people next door. Not just our family. Not just our friends. Not just our colleagues. Not just our cliques. Not just the people we like. Not just those who wield power and money. Not just those who share our ideologies. Our neighbor is each and every person we encounter daily.
Furthermore, as God’s creations on this planet, our neighbor includes the world’s citizenship, not just our country’s citizens. We are interconnected across the globe. Our neighbor is ALL HUMANKIND.
How to Do Right by Our Neighbor
The Bible is replete with commandments, admonitions, and descriptions about how we can obediently love our neighbor. Here is just a sample from God’s Word.
ISAIAH 1:16-20
Isaiah 1:16-20 provides clear and specific steps to treating our neighbor right.
- Cleanse ourselves. Repent of our misdoings.
- Learn what is right. Feast on our daily bread. Pray and listen to God.
These two steps are about our relationship with God. If we’re not right with God, we can’t do right for others.
- Seek justice. Use laws fairly and justly without bias or prejudice.
- Defend the oppressed, orphans, and widows. Care for those who are defenseless and vulnerable.
These describe how we help our neighbors. To stop doing wrong means we focus our attention not on our selfish gain or desires, but on helping those who have no power.
I CORINTHIANS 13:4-7
Loving our neighbor as ourselves means understanding what love is. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us a clear description of love. (see L O V E).
- We are patient and kind to each other.
- We are not envious of each other.
- We treat each other honorably, without speaking evil of each other.
- We rejoice with each other without exalting our triumphs over another.
- We are agreeable with each other.
- We respect and protect each other.
- We forgive each other without holding grudges.
Will God Find You?
In Psalm 14, God wearily searches the creation for someone who is doing right. Will God find you when he searches? Have you fulfilled the commandment to love God AND your neighbor?
Reflection
What is one action you can take today to stop doing wrong? To do right by your neighbor? How can you make this an everyday habit in your life?
This writing is so clear. It easily outlines the task that needs to be done. Yet I find myself struggling as I try to do what is right. Thanks for giving me more to reflect on. Be blessed.
Thank you Dr. Cooper. I think we all struggle.
Sometimes loving your neighbor as your self is a hardcore thing to do.But when I think on how the Lord has brought me though, I am happy that He tolerated me with all my flaws, so I have to be humble and peaceful with the flaws of others. Thank You BRI for this mind thinking 🤔 meditation. We all can look at ourselves differently 🫣❤️.