I hate bamboo. Yes, I’m using the word hate for a plant. This invasive, overgrown member of the grass family continues to spread further into my yard every year, and my annual battle of the bamboo has never achieved complete victory. The problem started over a quarter century ago before we moved here. Here’s the story.

The two neighbors who lived here before we arrived got into a dispute over a shed near the property line. To show his displeasure, Neighbor A planted bamboo as a way to hide Neighbor B’s unsightly shed from his view. And while both neighbors have long since passed away, the bamboo remains a monument to their dispute, and a reminder to me of the importance of being a good neighbor.

As Christians, we should always strive to be good witnesses within our neighborhoods and be careful to avoid petty conflicts that injure relationships. While there are many ways to be neighborly, I want to share four things every believer can do to be a good neighbor.

1. Keep a nice yard.

People take pride in their yards, and many spend countless hours working to make them beautiful. It’s important that believers keep the curb appeal of their homes up to at least the level of surrounding yards. You don’t want your neighbors to notice yours for the wrong reason. You should also honor property lines and go out of your way to compliment neighbors who work hard to keep their home well landscaped.

2. Be a servant.

Believers should go out of their way to help neighbors in need. Years ago, after a huge snowstorm I was able to help several neighbors clear their driveways with my snowblower. This past winter my machine broke, and my neighbor noticed me shoveling and insisted I use his new snowblower. It was a huge help! Just this weekend another neighbor and I are sharing a roll off to get rid of guess what…bamboo!

Last week, a neighbor of 23 years suddenly passed away with cancer. I was honored when asked to do the service since they didn’t have a pastor. We’ve taken food to the family and have invited them over for a meal. You never know how being a good neighbor will present opportunities to serve others.

3. Don’t react.

Unfortunately, not all neighbors are kind and sometimes they can be downright crotchety. A while back when we had to put a roof on our house some debris blew down the street and into a neighbor’s yard. I thought the company we used did a great job cleaning up, but it had been windy, and apparently a few shingle wrappings got away.

I had no idea this small amount of trash had ended up where it did. The woman came down and expressed her disapproval and was anything but nice about it. It would have been easy to respond in kind, but God gave me grace, and I apologized. The Bible says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

4. Pray for your neighbors.

The wise Solomon advised us not to “plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.” (Proverbs 3:29) Live among your neighbors as one they can trust and turn to in time of need. Pray for opportunities to be a blessing. You could even ask them how you might pray for them. Pray for their souls. Ask the Lord to make you a conduit of his love to them. You may be surprised what doors will open when you pray.