How many friends do you have? Who are they? If you are typical, your friends range from casual acquaintances to those you would die for. Sometimes we are closer to our friends than our own brothers or sisters. Friends share affection, companionship, confidences, consideration, devotion, esteem, faithfulness, fellowship, harmony, helpfulness, loyalty, partnership, support, sympathy, trust, and understanding. Friends are those you want to spend time with. God created us for relationships—with each other and with him. Our friendship with God should be the model for all our other friendships.

What is the mark of true friendship?
• PROVERBS 17:17 | A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.
• 1 SAMUEL 18:3 | And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.
Some friendships are fleeting and some are lasting. True friendships are glued together with bonds of loyalty and commitment. They remain intact despite changing external circumstances.

Can I truly be friends with God?
• JAMES 2:23 | “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.
• EXODUS 33:11 | The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
Both Abraham and Moses are referred to as friends of God. We are his friends, too, if we truly seek him and love him.
• PSALM 25:14 | The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.
Sharing our secrets is a mark of great friendship. When God shares the secrets of his promises with us, we know that he considers us his friends.

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible

We are living through some crazy times: pandemics, political unrest, we’ve even had Saharan Desert sand storms in the U.S. It’s no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed and keep asking “what’s next?” When we’re backed against a wall, exhausted, and not sure who to trust we can easily fall into traps of despair. We’re going to use the HelpFinder Bible to find out what the Bible says about 5 common responses during times of confusion and pain. This is not an exhaustive study, but a good start to find out what God’s Word says about being angry, when we’re anxious, living in fear, dealing with grief, and how to respond when we are called to love those we don’t like.

Anger: Anger is a fire that burns and consumes—smoldering, flaming, at times white hot. Anger is passion. Of all emotions, it may well be the most passionate, for it has the power to fuel hatred and smother love. Anger itself is not necessarily bad; it is not necessarily wrong. God himself gets angry. What we need to consider is the object of our anger, the motive for our anger, and the outcome of our anger. Anger that is self-righteous, protects our pride, is self-centered, or demands its own way is dangerous. If allowed to continue unchecked, it will consume us. This kind of anger seeks harm and revenge; it seeks to destroy. Thus it can lead to bitterness and hatred, emotions that can cause violent behavior and obliterate compassion and forgiveness. God’s anger, however, is directed against sin and unrighteousness. He blazes hot against evil. His anger, like ours, becomes a consuming fire, but its focus is to eradicate the sin so that the sinner can be restored. Our anger often consumes others and even ourselves; God’s anger burns against evil and becomes a cleansing fire. The fires of our anger may aggravate our sinfulness and self-righteousness. His anger burns away sinfulness and allows the “gold” to emerge and make us fit for the Master’s use.

We all get angry at times, so what should we do about it?
• EPHESIANS 4:26-27 | And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Anger is like a skunk in the house. Don’t feed it to encourage it to stay. And carefully try to get rid of it as soon as possible.
• MATTHEW 5:21-23 | “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder.’. . . But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! . . . Go and be reconciled to that person.”
Confront those you are angry with in order to restore your relationship.
• 1 CORINTHIANS 13:5 | [Love] is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
Love is the mightiest weapon in overcoming anger.
• PROVERBS 11:29 | Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
• EPHESIANS 6:4 | Do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
To knowingly provoke your family to anger weakens the binding force—love—that bonds your family together. The control you seek actually enslaves you.

Anxiety: Pressures in our lives can build and pull us in different directions. These pressures pull against our sense of well-being, and anxiety begins to overwhelm us. Trying to do too much work with too little time or too few resources can stretch us beyond our capacity. Trying to cope with the financial demands of life without adequate income can make us begin to feel desperate. Difficulties in marital relationships, in parent-child relationships, or in work relationships can lead to deep anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. What is the answer? We need a perspective that comes from God. And we also need the help of wise counselors and friends who God can use to bring us his presence, wisdom, and hope.

What can I do when I’m overwhelmed by anxiety?

• 2 CORINTHIANS 4:9 | We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Keep going! Knowing that God is by your side during times of anxiety can help you to keep from giving up.
• PSALM 55:22 | Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
• ISAIAH 41:10 | “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
• PSALM 62:2 | He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.
• JOHN 14:1 | “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
• HEBREWS 2:18 | Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
• PHILIPPIANS 2:4 | Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
The first step in dealing with your anxiety is to bring it to the Lord. Only he brings true peace of heart and mind. God’s availability and promises provide effective stress reducers.
• 2 SAMUEL 22:7 | But in my distress I cried out to the Lord. . . . He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
• PSALM 86:7 | I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.
Be persistent in prayer.
• MARK 6:31 | Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”
He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Take time to slow down and take a break from pressure-packed situations.
• 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 | Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Take care of your body. Adequate rest, regular exercise, and proper nutrition are essential to dealing effectively with stress and anxiety.
• GALATIANS 6:9 | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Don’t let stress and anxiety defeat you. When you are tired of doing good, it may be because you are just too tired.

Fear: Fears are real and natural, at times more real than that which we fear. Fears may leave us feeling unsettled and insecure, doubting our self-worth, having sleep problems or health problems, and worrying about how tomorrow will treat us. The issues that we want settled are simple—how do we avoid fear when we can, how do we live with it when we must, and what can we learn from it?

What can I do when I am overcome with fear? How do I find the strength to go on?

• PSALM 46:1-2 | God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
• JOHN 14:27 | “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. . . . So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
God promises to comfort us in our fear if we seek him when we are afraid. We have the confident assurance that he is with us in any circumstance.
• DEUTERONOMY 31:6 | “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Remind yourself that God is always with you. Your situation may be genuinely threatening, but God has not abandoned you, and he promises to stay with you. Even if your situation is so bad that it causes death, God has not left you but has instead ushered you into his very presence.
• EPHESIANS 1:3 | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
Remind yourself that no enemy or adversity can take away your most important blessings—the forgiveness God gave you for your sins, your relationship with him, and your eternal salvation. These remain secure even when your world falls apart.
• REVELATION 22:5 | And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Remind yourself that as a Christian, your destiny is victory! Present hardships and heartaches are temporary. You can go forward with the confidence that you are on the winning side.
• PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 | Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Pray with a thankful heart, asking God to give you what you need to deal with your fear. Peace is not the absence of fear but the conquest of fear. Peace is not running away but overcoming.
• 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Fear presents an opportunity for you to develop greater faith as you call upon the power of God to help you.
• GENESIS 26:7 | When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.”
• JOSHUA 17:16 | “But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots. . . . They are too strong for us.”
Fear must not keep you from doing the things you know are right. You are not meant to live in fear.

Grief: Grief comes from suffering, discomfort, confusion, restlessness, pain, heartache, and usually with plenty of tears. Some grief, like losing a loved one, can be understood only by those who have walked that dark valley before. Grief is like a deep pit. It tortures our soul and robs us of the joy of living. But there is a great theme in the Bible—that although we walk through the valley of the shadow, there can be comfort and hope, as long as God is with us. He doesn’t spare us from grief in this life, but he does help us through it. And ultimately, he helps us overcome it for all eternity.

How do I deal with loss in my life?

• JOHN 11:35 | Then Jesus wept.
Don’t deny your loss. Great grief is the result of great love. The tears of Jesus at Lazarus’s death forever validate our tears of grief.
• GENESIS 50:3 | The Egyptians mourned [Jacob’s] death for seventy days.
Grief is a process that must not be denied or hurried. The rituals of wakes, visitations, funerals, and memorial services all help us move through the stages of grief.
• 2 SAMUEL 11:1 | In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab. . . . However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
For reasons not entirely known, King David gave up the active leadership of his troops. The loss may have created a vacuum in his life that he was seeking to fill with an immoral relationship with Bathsheba. As we grieve our losses we must be careful not to “medicate” our pain with that which will only create more pain.
• JOB 1:20-21 | Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. . . . He said, “. . . The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.”
Losses always bring pain. Recognizing and expressing that pain is not wrong or sinful, but rather it is a healthy expression of how God created us.
• HEBREWS 10:34 | You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
It is important to allow yourself to grieve, but there comes a time for grieving to end. By serving God and others with all the energy and enthusiasm you can muster, you will begin to find healing. And as a Christian, you have the comfort of knowing that you will be with God forever in a place where all grief will be gone forever.

Love: A healthy definition of love is crucial to understanding the central message of the Bible. According to the Bible, love is not confined to sexuality, and it isn’t primarily a feeling either. The Bible teaches that love is a commitment. As a commitment, love is not dependent on good feelings but rather on a consistent and courageous decision to extend oneself for the well-being of another. That commitment then produces good feelings, not the other way around. Jesus became the perfect demonstration of God’s unconditional love for us by laying down his life for our benefit.

How can I love people I don’t even like?

• 1 JOHN 4:19 | We love each other because he loved us first.
As you reflect on God’s love for you and receive it for yourself, you will grow in your ability to love those you do not like.
• 1 PETER 4:8 | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Love is an act of spiritual maturity, based on the eternal significance of each person and on what God is doing in your life. When you learn to love the unlovable, you have developed the ability to see others as Jesus does.
• ROMANS 12:20 | “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.”
Even if you don’t like certain people, you can still choose to do tangible acts of love for them.
• ROMANS 12:3 | I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.
Before you are too quick to dislike or dismiss someone, remember that you, too, have qualities that others may find unattractive.
• MATTHEW 5:43-44 | “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Only in Christ’s love can we love our enemies.

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible

Taken from the HelpFinder Bible

A healthy definition of love is crucial to understanding the central message of the Bible. According to the Bible, love is not confined to sexuality, and it isn’t primarily a feeling either. The Bible teaches that love is a commitment. As a commitment, love is not dependent on good feelings but rather on a consistent and courageous decision to extend oneself for the well-being of another. That commitment then produces good feelings, not the other way around. Jesus became the perfect demonstration of God’s unconditional love for us by laying down his life for our benefit.

Must I love other people? What if I don’t want to?

• JOHN 13:34 | “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
• 1 JOHN 2:9 | If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.
• JOHN 13:35 | “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
• 1 PETER 4:8 | Love covers a multitude of sins.
• 1 JOHN 4:12 | If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

Being a Christian comes with certain expectations, and one of them is that we will love others. Our Christian conduct is proof as to whether we love each other, and loving each other is proof that we belong to Christ.

How can I love people I don’t even like?

• 1 JOHN 4:19 | We love each other because he loved us first.
As you reflect on God’s love for you and receive it for yourself, you will grow in your ability to love those you do not like.
• 1 PETER 4:8 | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Love is an act of spiritual maturity, based on the eternal significance of each person and on what God is doing in your life. When you learn to love the unlovable, you have developed the ability to see others as Jesus does.
• ROMANS 12:20 | “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.”
Even if you don’t like certain people, you can still choose to do tangible acts of love for them.
• ROMANS 12:3 | I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.
Before you are too quick to dislike or dismiss someone, remember that you, too, have qualities that others may find unattractive.
• MATTHEW 5:43-44 | “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Only in Christ’s love can we love our enemies.

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible

Anger is a fire that burns and consumes—smoldering, flaming, at times white hot. Anger is passion. Of all emotions, it may well be the most passionate, for it has the power to fuel hatred and smother love. Anger itself is not necessarily bad; it is not necessarily wrong. God himself gets angry.

What we need to consider is the object of our anger, the motive for our anger, and the outcome of our anger. Anger that is self-righteous, protects our pride, is self-centered, or demands its own way is dangerous. If allowed to continue unchecked, it will consume us. This kind of anger seeks harm and revenge; it seeks to destroy. Thus it can lead to bitterness and hatred, emotions that can cause violent behavior and obliterate compassion and forgiveness.

God’s anger, however, is directed against sin and unrighteousness. He blazes hot against evil. His anger, like ours, becomes a consuming fire, but its focus is to eradicate the sin so that the sinner can be restored. Our anger often consumes others and even ourselves; God’s anger burns against evil and becomes a cleansing fire. The fires of our anger may aggravate our sinfulness and self-righteousness. His anger burns away sinfulness and allows the “gold” to emerge and make us fit for the Master’s use.

When I am angry, what should I avoid?
• EPHESIANS 6:4 | “Do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.”
Avoid discipline in the heat of anger.
• JAMES 3:5 | “The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
Avoid speaking your mind when you are angry. You are likely to say something you will regret.
• 1 SAMUEL 19:9-10 | “As David played his harp, Saul hurled his spear at David.”
Avoid acting on impulse in the heat of anger. You are likely to do something you will regret.

When is it okay to be angry?
• JOHN 2:15-16 | “[Jesus] drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins . . . and . . . told them, ‘Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!'”
• NUMBERS 25:11 | “Phinehas . . . has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was.”
Anger at sin is not only appropriate but also necessary. It is a sign that our priorities are in line with God’s, that we understand the destructive force of sin, and will confront it with the same passion that God does.

We all get angry at times, so what should we do about it?
• EPHESIANS 4:26-27 | And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Anger is like a skunk in the house. Don’t feed it to encourage it to stay. And carefully try to get rid of it as soon as possible.
• MATTHEW 5:21-23 | “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder.’. . . But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! . . . Go and be reconciled to that person.”
Confront those you are angry with in order to restore your relationship.
• 1 CORINTHIANS 13:5 | [Love] is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
Love is the mightiest weapon in overcoming anger.
• PROVERBS 11:29 | Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
• EPHESIANS 6:4 | Do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
To knowingly provoke your family to anger weakens the binding force—love—that bonds your family together. The control you seek actually enslaves you.

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible

In the lonely hours of the night, do you sometimes wrestle with God and your emotions, feeling desperately alone, rejected? Perhaps a best friend deserted you. Or the one you hoped to marry wants someone else. Or the one you did marry wants out. Maybe your child has turned against you, or your parents don’t seem to care. Ironically, you can feel equally lonely on a crowded city street, in a busy airport, or in a stadium filled with people. Have you ever sensed the loneliness of being in a crowd? There are so many people, but no one you know or truly care about is there. Everybody is there but no one is with you—truly with you—except for God, who is always with you. If you develop a relationship with him, you can disperse your loneliness. He is always there for you. You never need to feel lonely when the creator of the universe is by your side.

I’m lonely. What can I do?
• PSALM 23:4 | Even when I walk through the darkest valley . . . you are close beside me.
• PSALM 139:17 | How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
• ISAIAH 54:10 | “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain.”

Recognize that you are not unlovable or deficient just because you are lonely. You have value because God made you, loves you, and promises never to leave you.

• EXODUS 5:21-22 | The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh. . . .” Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “. . . Why did you send me?”
• 1 KINGS 19:4 | He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die.

Don’t give up on God when you are lonely. It will cause you to feel sorry for yourself, become discouraged, and fall prey to temptation.

• 1 KINGS 19:10 | “I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”
• MATTHEW 11:2-3 | John the Baptist, who was in prison . . . sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
• 1 PETER 4:19 | So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Sometimes we feel alone in our stand for Christ. We can take comfort in knowing that there are others who are equally committed and that God rewards our bold commitment.

• ROMANS 12:4-5 | Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Be around other people. Get involved in a local church. Volunteer in local community events.

• ISAIAH 41:10 | “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
• JOHN 14:1 | “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

Loneliness can cause us to be afraid. But God calms our fears.

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“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”

Psalm 100, NLT

Notes from the HelpFinder Bible

We do not think of ourselves as a worshiping culture, let alone an idolatrous culture, but our behavior suggests otherwise. Consider our weekly gatherings of up to one hundred thousand frenzied fans observing a ceremony of men dressed in strange garb acting out a violent drama of conquest. Others stay at home and join in by way of a small glowing shrine set up in the family room.

Fans of professional football are probably not even aware that their behavior could be described as worship. Or consider the way thousands of young people scream and throw themselves at the stage where their rock-star idols are performing. Human beings were created to worship. To worship is to ascribe ultimate value to an object, person, or God—and then to revere, adore, pay homage to, and obey by ordering the priorities of our lives around that which we worship. The Bible teaches that God alone is worthy of our worship. Worship, more than anything else, will connect us with God, our only source of lasting hope.

What is the ultimate purpose of my worship?
• 1 CHRONICLES 17:16-18 | “Who am I, O Lord God . . . that you have brought me this far?. . . You know what your servant is really like.”

• 1 CHRONICLES 29:10-13 | Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord. . . . We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!”

• ISAIAH 6:3 | They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

• LEVITICUS 15:31 | “This is how you will guard the people of Israel from ceremonial uncleanness. Otherwise they would die, for their impurity would defile my Tabernacle that stands among them.”
Worship is the recognition of who God is and of who you are in relation to him. Ultimately, everything we do should be based on what we think of and how we worship the almighty God. If our actions don’t pay ultimate honor to him, then we are paying ultimate honor to someone or something else.

• PROVERBS 3:9 | Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.

• EXODUS 23:19 | “As you harvest your crops, bring the very best of the first harvest to the house of the Lord your God.”
Giving the firstfruits of your income to God honors him as your number one priority. Your offerings demonstrate that your work is for God and that his work is most important.

• REVELATION 4:9-11 | Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

• REVELATION 5:11-12 | Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”
Your worship of God is a foretaste of heaven.

• GENESIS 4:3-4 | When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.
In the gifts of Abel and Cain we see that, from the very beginning, humans have an instinct for worship. We desire to offer thanks and honor to God by expressing our praise and bringing offerings from our work to God. Even if we fall short of the mark, as Cain did, the instinct is still there.

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Read what the Bible has to say about the importance of commitment from the HelpFinder Bible

The achievement of any goal or purpose requires commitment—whether for good or for evil. The Bible speaks of commitment in both negative and positive ways: “committing” a sin (Deuteronomy 22:22) and “commit everything you do to the Lord” (Psalm 37:5). Each alternative involves making a decision, turning oneself over to something or someone, a focused and sometimes costly perseverance, and then reaping the negative consequences or positive rewards of our commitment. Understanding commitment and learning to commit our hearts, minds, and bodies is central to a life of faith. In fact, faith devoid of commitment is dead.

Why is commitment so important?
• PSALM 25:10 | The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

When you are committed to following God, he will lead you to his will for your life, the satisfying and fulfilling goal for which he has created you.

• PSALM 31:23 | For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him.

When you are committed to God, he is committed to watching out for you and caring for you.

• RUTH 1:14 | And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.

Commitment is the true mark of friendship.

• 1 CORINTHIANS 13:7 | Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Commitment is the evidence of love for one another.

Let’s read from the HelpFinder Bible to learn more about being a good neighbor.

Most of us think of our neighbors as the people who live next door or across the street. Jesus’ teachings expand our neighborhood to involve anyone around us who needs his love. This means not only the people who live near us but also the people next to us on a plane, our coworkers, or the people in our town who are homeless. It is also important to expand our neighborhood to people around the world who need the love of Christ.

When we begin to view people we see or meet or even hear about as our neighbors, we can begin to establish the kind of relationships that allow us to share the love of Christ by offering a helping hand. How will you treat your neighbors today?

Who is my neighbor?
LUKE 10:29-37 | The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. . . . A priest came along . . . and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. . . . he took care of him . . . Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Your neighbor is anyone around you who needs help, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, or friendship.

What are my responsibilities to my neighbors? How am I to love my neighbors?

ROMANS 13:9-10 | For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

JAMES 2:8 | Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love your neighbors, regardless of your differences.

DEUTERONOMY 22:1, 3 | If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner.. . . Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t ignore your responsibility.

PROVERBS 3:28 | If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

Help your neighbors in times of need.

EPHESIANS 4:25 | So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

Be honest with your neighbors, even when it is painful.

LEVITICUS 19:18 | “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Never try to get back at your neighbors for something wrong they have done to you. Let the Lord deal with them.

LEVITICUS 19:16 | “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.”

1 TIMOTHY 5:13 | And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

Don’t gossip about your neighbors.

DEUTERONOMY 5:21 | “You must not covet your neighbor’s wife. You must not covet your neighbor’s house or land, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Don’t covet what your neighbors have.

PROVERBS 27:14 | A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!

Respect your neighbors’ time and privacy.

PROVERBS 3:29 | Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you.

Don’t break your neighbors’ trust by planning against them.

Humility is the honest recognition of our own worth—our worth as God sees us. It is the delicate balance between humbly recognizing our sin yet knowing how much God loves and values us. While pride elevates us above others, and often above God himself, degrading our sense of self-worth is also unacceptable, for it denies the value God placed upon us when he created us in his image and when he sent his Son to die for us. Jesus did not die for worms but for people he loves very much, and those people have great value in God’s eyes. To see ourselves as God sees us—that is our goal.

What is true humility?
• 1 CHRONICLES 17:16 | Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”
Humility is not thinking too highly of yourself.

• MATTHEW 18:4 | “So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Humility is childlike. It has an attitude of total trust in a great God.

• TITUS 3:2 | They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
Humility is truly caring about others and looking out for their best interests.

• PSALM 51:3-4 | For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you,and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
Humility is the willingness to admit and confess sin.

• PROVERBS 12:23 | The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.
Humility is refraining from proving what you know, how good you are at something, or that you are always right.

• MARK 10:45 | “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Humility is the pathway to serving God and others.

• PROVERBS 13:10 | Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.
Humility allows you to ask for advice.

Grown men stand toe to toe, faces beet red, veins standing out on their necks as they shout at each other, “I was safe!” “You were out!” “Safe!” “Out!” If a ball player disagrees with an umpire’s call, a spectacular and entertaining argument sometimes ensues.

Since people have differing opinions on everything from politics to sports to religion, conflict seems to be a given in human relationships. The Bible does not hide from the issue of conflict, nor does it condemn all conflict as sinful.

From Moses to David to Jesus to Paul, the Bible’s greatest figures found themselves in conflict with someone or something. According to the Bible there is nothing inherently wrong with conflict. Disagreements happen. But the way we are to resolve our conflicts is extremely important. Conflict can become the catalyst to greater understanding, intimacy, and depth of relationship; or it can bring anger, bitterness, and broken relationships. How you deal with conflict will literally shape the direction of your life.

What are some ways to resolve conflict?

GENESIS 13:8-9 | Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. . . . Take your choice of any section of the land.”
Solving conflict takes initiative; someone must make the first move. Abram gave Lot first choice, putting family peace above personal desires.

GENESIS 26:21-22 | Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. . . . [He] dug another well. This time there was no dispute.
Solving conflict takes humility, a desire to see peace more than personal victory.

2 SAMUEL 3:1 | That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. Solving conflict involves compromise, finding common ground that is bigger than your differences. If neither side is willing to take the initiative or show the necessary humility to seek common ground, conflict will result in a broken relationship or even war.

NUMBERS 12:1-2 | Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?”
Solving conflict requires that we focus on the real issue. We focus only on resolving the problem, not attacking the person.

2 TIMOTHY 2:24 | A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.
When someone disagrees with what you are saying, maintain a gracious, gentle, and patient attitude instead of becoming angry and defensive.