How the Holy Spirit Helps You Love Your Neighbor as Yourself - Phil. 2:1-7
1. The Holy Spirit helps you love your neighbor as yourself by giving you greater understanding into their needs and concerns. Paul wrote, "In humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Phil. 2:3,4) Paul studied the emotional, social, psychological, cultural, physical, and spiritual needs of people. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom, understanding and awareness of the needs of those you normally relate to and minister with.
Illustration: Ingham and Luft first present the Johari Window to illustrate how relationships can be improved with greater awareness of individual and group strengths and weaknesses.
It is used a tool to help people discover areas where relationships could be improved. It is simple to visualize the four quadrants:
Quadrant 1 - The area of free activity or public area, that refers to behavior and motivation known to ones self as well as to others
Quadrant 2 - The blind area, where others can see things in ourselves of which we are unaware
Quadrant 3 - The avoided or hidden areas, represents things we know but do not reveal to others (e.g. a hidden agenda, or matters about which we have sensitive feelings)This is the area that is known to us privately but not known to others
Quadrant 4 - Areas of unknown activity to both ourselves as well as to those around us. Neither the individual nor others are aware of certain behaviors or motives. Yet, we can assume their existence because eventually some of these behaviors and motives may have been influencing relationships all along. This is where the Holy Spirit of God most powerfully convicts, inspires and works in and through us to accomplish His will.
a. Allow the Spirit of God to use others to bring to the light areas that need improving
b. Allow the Spirit of God to expose and convict you of hidden areas that need to be dealt with and improved upon
c. Allow the Spirit of God to use you to teach others how they may become more like Christ
d. Allow the Spirit of God to teach you and others more about your responsibilities to fear God and keep His commandments so you can expand quadrant #1 while reducing the size and influence of the other quadrants in your life. This is a life long process.
e. Allow the Spirit of God to help you appreciate how He gradually reveals areas of weakness in the hidden areas of your life to help you become more like Jesus in your relationships.
f. Allow the Spirit of God to help you realize that even though a centipede may think it is happy without awareness, yet he may be subject to all kinds of attacks. In the mean time all a centipede is able to do is crawl under rocks for protection and progress
g. Allow the Spirit of God to help you become more sensitized to areas that are covert in quadrants 2,3,4 so you can be more loving and caring and patient with others.
h. Allow the Spirit of God to bring the changes in people at his own pace instead of trying to play the role of the Holy Spirit in judging others.
i. Allow the Spirit of God to bring people to a motivation level where they are ready to make the necessary changes.
j. Allow the Spirit of God to teach you that forced awareness often leads to undesirabel and ineffective results.
k. Allow the Spirit of God to show you that it is taking unnecessary energy to hide, deny or be blind to attitude and behavior that hinders positive communication and relationships with others.
l. Allow the Spirit of God to work through each individual and culture to gradual disclose the hidden areas instead of feeling you must do it for Him. There is a universal curiosity about the unknown areas of life, but this is held in check by customs of culture, social training and by diverse fears. It is best to help people develop a fear of the Lord more than the fear of men.
m. Allow the Spirit of God to help you show great sensitivity to people who need a certain level of covert behavior before they are willing to trust and open up in their communications. Ask the Lord to give you greater respect, sensitivty and patience with certain people who desire to keep certain areas of their life private.
n. Allow the Spirit of God to work through the social-cultural conditioning patterns of each group in the ways that are most effective.
o. Allow the Spirit of God to nurture great love and trust between people so they are voluntarily willing to give increase awareness in all four quadrants since threats and intimidations tend to decrease peoples’ willing to open up and be freely disclosive in their communications.
p. Allow the Spirit of God to facilitate more free awareness and sharing with people who He chooses for you. God has the ability to pick out and supply you with the best friends and people you can share your most confidential attitudes with. Jesus is still our best friend.
2. The Holy Spirit gives you a greater sense of empathy when you learn to improve your communication with others. Paul wrote, "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God." (Col. 2:2) Paul knew that when people see themselves united in Christ, people are naturally encouraged to watch out for one another’s best interests. Ask the Lord to help you grow in your unity in the Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit causes us to love one another when we are consistently praying for one another’s deepest spiritual concerns. Paul ended his letter to the Thessalonians by writing, "May God sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers, pray for us." (I Thes. 5:23-25) Paul knew that when he initiated prayer, others would be more apt to pray for him.
4. The Holy Spirit helps you love your neighbor as yourself when you determine to be an imitator of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, "Forgive each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore and live a life of love." (Eph. 4:32,5:1) Paul knew that by determining to be willing to forgive others we are much more apt to live a life that is characterized by the love of Jesus. Ask the Lord to help you be more willing to not hold anything against anyone for ANY reason.
5. The Holy Spirit helps you consistently learn to listen to people talk about their interests, needs and problems. Jesus listened to many people talk about their problems because He asked more than 300 questions that are found in the gospels. One day the Pharisees complained that Jesus spent too much time with common sinners. They said, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Jesus asked them, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? I tell you that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:3-7) Ask the Lord to help you put yourself in positions where you can listen to needy people tell you about their problems as Jesus did.
6. The Holy Spirit helps you become more sensitive to the felt, real, cultural, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of people. Jesus impressed people not simply because of His great teaching, but because He was sensitive to a whole range of individual needs. John wrote, "When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him? He asked. ‘Come and see Lord." they replied, Jesus wept." (John 11:32-35) Ask the Lord to increase your sensitivity to ALL of peoples’ needs.
7. The Holy Spirit gives you a greater ability to provide the following - just when people need them most:
A). Comfort - 2 Cor. 1:3,4
B). Healing - James 5:16
C). Encouragement - Phil. 2:1
D). Affection and compassion - Phil. 2:1,2
E). Consolation and sympathy - Phil. 2:1
F). Fellowship and companionship - I John 1:3
G). Hope, Joy, Peace, Power - Rom. 15:13
H). Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control - Gal. 5:22,23
I). Endurance and a spirit of unity - Rom. 15:5
J). Acceptance - Rom. 15:7
K). Belonging - I Cor. 12:11-28
L). Teaching and admonishment - Col. 1:27,28
M). Renewal and rejuvenation - Philemon 20
N). Solutions for difficult problems - I Cor. 13:4-13
O). Guidance when perplexed - Proverbs 3:5,6
P). Identification with the hurting and weak - I Cor. 12:25,26
Q). Warnings for the idle; encouragement for the timid; help for the weak; patience with everyone - I Thes. 5:14
R). Relief from the pressures and stresses of life - I Thes. 2:7,8
S). Fatherly encouraging, comforting and urging to live lives worthy of God - I Thes. 2:12
T). Group prayer for those who are in need of mutual intercession, visitation and protection - I Thes. 3:1-4
U). Transparent examples of Godly purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, teaching, and daily interactions
V). Support when persecutions, criticisms, and misunderstandings are experienced - 2 Tim. 3:10-12
W). Marriage counseling - Eph. 5:22-33
X). Accountability - 2 Thes. 2:5-7
Y). Assistance in growing in all aspects into Christ. - Eph. 4:15
Z). Help in learning how to perceive life more from Christ’s perspective than from an earthly viewpoint - Col. 3:1-5
