“Love your neighbor, as you love yourself.”
I heard this a lot when I was growing up. Then I did not pay much attention to what it actually meant or how difficult or easy it would be to love my neighbor as I love myself.
A neighbor is anyone around us who is in need.
How many times do you think about helping those in need? Does it come easy to share the little you have with another person? Or help someone out of a bad situation?
Two things I want to very deliberate about as I grow in my faith, (1) Finding joy and contentment in all circumstances (2) Helping others.
If you have the same desire of helping others, the bible is a great source of inspiration. In this article I will cover the following:
- Short bible verses about helping others
- Who is your neighbor?
- A prayer about helping others
Short Bible Verses About Helping Others
Deuteronomy 15:7
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,
Deuteronomy 15:11
“For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.”
Leviticus 25:35
“If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you.”
Psalm 9:18
“For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.”
Proverbs 29:7
“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”
Proverbs 11:25
“The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.”
Proverbs 19:17
“He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.”
Proverbs 22:9
“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Isaiah 58:10
“If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.”
Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.”
Mark 10:21
“Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Luke 3:11
“John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Luke 12:33
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”
Acts 9:36
“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.”
Acts 20:35
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Who is your neighbor?
There are several stories about helping others. One classic example is the parable of the good Samaritan in the book of Luke. Jesus gave this parable to illustrate who a neighbor is.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37
" And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37
A Prayer About Helping Others
Now that we’ve looked at what the bible says about helping others, how do we take action and do good by helping others? By our own will, it’s not easy. We have to ask God to help us, to soften our hearts and teach us to love our neighbors.
Use this short prayer to speak to God about helping others. Submit to Him and He will guide you.
My Lord and Savior,
This day I come before you,
With a humble heart,
I have sinned,
And fallen short of your glory,
Forgive me.
Lord, I pray you teach me to love others,
Soften my heart and fill me with generosity,
Lord, bless me with kindness
My desire is to help others,
I want to be a blessing to those in need,
Just like Abraham,
Lord bless me, so I can bless others,
I pray this trusting in you Lord,
Amen
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