Love Your Neighbor: Overcoming Barriers

Loving our neighbors sounds simple, but many things get in the way. When Jesus said that all the commandments could be summed up in loving God and loving our neighbors, he was revealing something profound. But if we’re honest, there are real barriers that keep us from living this out.

We’re busy. We rush from one task to the next, calendars packed, weekends booked solid. There’s little margin left for meaningful connection. Without space, we miss the quiet needs right next door.

We’re distracted. Phones, screens, and endless notifications pull our attention in every direction. We may live feet away from someone in pain but never notice because our minds are elsewhere.

We’re guarded. Past hurts, fear of rejection, or simply the discomfort of vulnerability can keep us from opening up. It’s easier to stay behind closed doors than risk awkwardness or misunderstanding.

We’re self-focused. Our natural instinct is to do what we want, when we want, and how we want. That mindset builds invisible walls — walls that keep us from seeing, knowing, and loving the people around us.

We’re discouraged. Sometimes we’ve tried to reach out and have been met with silence or rejection. That disappointment can make us retreat, convincing us it’s not worth the effort. But love requires resilience.

And when those barriers go unchallenged, the results are painful:

• Isolation. We stop knowing our neighbors, and they stop knowing us.
• Fear. The unknown breeds suspicion. Without relationship, we imagine the worst.
• Misunderstanding. From a distance, it’s easy to judge. Up close, we see the struggle — and the humanity.

From afar, a house with an overgrown yard, chipped paint, and broken-down cars might seem neglected. It’s easy to assume the people inside don’t care. But step closer, and you might find a family doing their best, juggling illness, hardship, and the quiet struggle to hold things together.

Scripture calls us to something better and something deeper. God invites us to love others the way He loves us: sacrificially, compassionately, and without judgment. He calls us to put love into action, to be present, to show up, and to build real relationships.

That kind of love requires intention. It means creating space in our lives to slow down, to breathe, and to truly see the people around us. It doesn’t take a dramatic overhaul, just a few courageous choices.

Because when we make room, something sacred unfolds:

• We begin to live with peace.
• We become interruptible.
• In those interruptions, God often whispers invitations to love our neighbors well.

So, we ask ourselves:

• What barriers are keeping me from being the neighbor Jesus calls me to be?
• Am I living at a pace that allows me to be present for others?
• Are the things filling my schedule more important than living out the Great Commandment?

Reordering our lives takes courage — the courage to say no, to slow down, and to create space where love can grow.

It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” (Matthew 22:37-39).