Monday Reading: Proverbs 25:17
Key Verse: Proverbs 25:17
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
Devotion:
I bet each one of us can think of a time when we have either been made to feel unwelcome because we stayed a bit long, or someone else has overstayed their welcome in our house. If we want to continue to be on good terms with others, then we should really aim to make sure that we do not overstay our welcome – which can be a hard thing to spot when our hosts are trying their hardest to make us feel welcome!
This does not mean that we should stay away from our neighbours! Where would we be without friendship? Being able to talk to people, being able to be with people or just being able to know that someone is close by is a great comfort to us. Whilst we know that God is there with us, always, we still do crave for human companionship, especially with those that are close to us.
But, as always, neighbours are open to abuse by those that have little or no respect for others. If we wish to make the most of our friendships, we need to adhere to certain civilities: not to be troublesome, not to visit too often, not to stay too long, nor to make it so that you turn up at meal times just in case you can gain some food! Whilst each of these can be mistaken, taking your friendships for granted can only lead to breaking them...
Being open and honest with your neighbours will help to cultivate a trust and companionship that will allow for flexible visits. Being able to know how welcome you are allows you to know your bounds. Being open enough to tell others how welcome they are will allow them to know their limits.
Points to Ponder:
Do you have neighbours that stick around too much?
Aren't you glad Christ has said He wants us to call on Him always?