You shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
Romans 13:9

On one of our trips to Indiana, we were surprised to see an elderly Amish woman struggling to get her horse out of a ditch and back on the road. Before my husband had a chance to respond to the situation, our Amish friend who sat in the backseat of our rental car shouted, “Please, stop the car; I need to help that woman!” My husband had barely stopped the car when our friend jumped out and raced over to the horse and buggy. Having grown up around horses, she wasn’t afraid, and quickly had the horse under control so the elderly woman could get back in her buggy. Watching the situation unfold, I thought of the Bible verse that reminds us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means helping when we see a need.

It’s easy to find a reason not to get involved — indifference, busyness, or fear. Life for the Amish isn’t about seeing if they can get ahead of their neighbors, but seeing if they can help their neighbors.

As we seek to follow the Lord, we should look for opportunities to help our neighbors. We may be the only Jesus they’ll ever see. Is there something you might do to help one of your neighbors this week?

I remember one day when I was browsing in a store owned by one of our Amish friends. My friend wasn’t in the store at the time, but two of her daughters were working there. I’d gone down to the basement of the store and found some second-hand dresses for sale. I picked out two that I particularly liked and took them to one of the young women to ask how much the dresses cost. “Nothing for you,” she said with a smile. “Mom would want you to have them.”

“Oh, no,” I insisted. “I must pay you something for them.”

She shook her head, took the dresses, and put them in a paper sack. “Take them, please.”

I was tempted to argue further, but I could see by the determined look on her face that she wanted me to have the dresses as a gift. So I smiled and said, “Thank you; I really appreciate this. Tell your mother I said thanks, too.”

As I left the store that day, I was struck with the realization that it’s sometimes easier to give than to receive. However, we miss many blessings if we don’t allow others to give us a gift. When others give to us, we need to be thankful. Believers in Christ have a responsibility to show kindness to others. We also have a responsibility to accept the kindness others show to us. Has someone shown you a kindness this week? What was your response?

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.
James 4:8

One of the most obvious things about the Amish way of life is their desire to yield to God and please Him by the things they say and do. They teach their children to pray before and after each meal. They attend church together and sing songs about God. They give of themselves to others.

While all these things are pleasing to God, what pleases Him more than anything is when we worship Him with our whole heart. This becomes evident when we share the love of God with others through our words and actions.

One thing I’ve noticed after being with our Amish friends is that for them, God comes first, and then their family. It should be every Christian’s desire to please God before we please anyone else. Can you think of some things you’ve done to please God this week? Are there some things you know you ought to do that will please Him, too?