“Home is where the heart is.” Some people have this phrase hanging in their houses to remind them of the importance of creating a home. But with kids’ basketball practice and work and church activities, sometimes we spend less time at home than we do running around to other events. Because of this, it is easy to miss an opportunity to share God’s love with those we live around: our neighbors.

Neighborhoods are interesting places. All sorts of people live in the same area. With our busy lives, we may not even meet our neighbors, or we just wave to them as we drive away. It is easy to just live in a place, instead of really investing in a community. Getting to know our neighbors takes time, intentionality, and service.

There are so many verses in the Bible about how to live in community with others, including the commandment to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” That becomes real when we shovel our driveway and then see our neighbor’s driveway filled with snow. We have to learn to love and serve those who live around us, through shoveling or barbeques or simple kindness. This way we will show them the joys of being in God’s family. It may not always be easy. But being Christ-like may mean that one day, our neighbors will also become our brothers and sisters in Christ.

This is Luis Palau.