In the 1800’s many people decided to leave their homes on the East Coast and travel out West to start a new life. One day a wagon pulled up to a log cabin, and the man who was driving the wagon told the man who owned the cabin that he was looking for a place to settle down. He then asked the man who owned the cabin what kind of neighbors he had. In turn, the settler asked the traveler what kind of neighbors he had back East. The traveler said they were cranky, unfriendly, and cantankerous. Hearing that the settler told the traveler he would find the same kind of neighbors in that particular area. So the traveler decided to keep on going.
The next day another wagon pulled up to the same cabin. This man was also looking for a place to settle down. He also asked about the neighbors. The settler asked him the same question he had asked the other man the day before. He said, "What kind of neighbors did you have back East?" The traveler said his former neighbors were the nicest, friendliest, and most cooperative neighbors in the world. The settler told him he would find the same kind of neighbors in that particular area. So the man and his family decided to stay, and did indeed find the people who lived in that area to be great neighbors.
The difference was not in the neighbors, but in the two men themselves. The Bible teaches us that "A man who has friends must himself be friendly."