How Is Your Neighborhood?

How Is Your Neighborhood?

Where one lives has a way of making certain demands on how you live. In the neighborhood where I live, the trash is collected on Wednesday, so it's my responsibility to make sure that the dumpster is placed on the curb the morning of. Letting the garbage pile up on the curb for days before does not make for happy neighbors. There are children playing outside, so signs are posted everywhere reminding drivers to slow down. That indicates to me that I must drive slowly and keep a watch out for children, without looking, chase wayward balls into the streets.

It is important to keep in mind that God has placed each of us into the "kingdom of the Son" (Col.1:13). You might say, living in his neighborhood means that there are life-changing behavior patterns that should clearly reflect our spiritual location. This is why Paul reminds us that God's kingdom is not about arguing and fighting over earthly things but about "righteousness and peach and joy" (Rom. 14:17). Actually living by God's right standards, living to be a peacemaker and living to be a source of joy in our relationships are what kingdom living is all about. When we live in this manner, our lives please God and bless others.

This really sounds like the type of neighborhood anyone would really enjoy living in! The world gets a view of God when those who claim to be the followers of Jesus Christ are living righteously. If you are a part of the kingdom of God, it will make a big difference in how you live.