Last month, as we began a new year (2025), I felt the Lord nudging me in a direction that felt uncomfortable. “Lord, I am not sure about this. It is not anywhere near what I would call my “comfort zone.”

Sometimes where He takes us may just be to test us or to show us something entirely different. But without a doubt whatever He moves us toward will always be for the betterment of all. And it is certainly true that we can become lax and too comfortable in our day-to-day lives. Our prayer should continually be “Lord, open my eyes to areas where I have let down my benevolence and have become hardhearted especially in my home.” How easy it is to live our lives according to OUR comfort, what makes us comfortable, and our homes become the environment in which we tend to demand a level of ease letting down our compassion and for some, expecting to be treated as sovereigns. 

As I ruminated over the areas for living outside my comfort zone, one theme surfaced astounding my cleverly designed mind. The Lord graciously provided a subject smack dab in the home offering my dear husband the perfect Valentine!  

It truly is astounding to me how I view the Bible and the commands written for my obedience. Until I purposely put my husband’s name in Scripture, I do not think of him as my neighbor.

But truly all Scripture begins in our hearts, lived out in our homes before ever reaching next door.

• Love your [husband] neighbor!
• Serve [your husband] one another humbly in love!
• In humility value [your husband] others above yourself!
• Serve (your husband) wholeheartedly!
• Encourage [your husband] one another; building [your husband] each other up!
• Carry [your husband’s] each other’s burdens!

Ephesians 6:7-8; Philippians 2:3-4; Galatians 5:13-14; 6:2; I Thessalonians 5:11

And so, as the Lord would have it, living outside my comfort zone is putting my husband first and not gratifying the desires of my flesh:

• biting my tongue (when he is grumpy or doesn’t like the food; He says this is a rarity 😂)
• going the extra mile (5 K’s)
• making his favorite dessert (periodically)
• ensuring he always has clean undergarments (picking out his clothes for the day to save him time especially since he is colored blind)
• going with him when he preaches or speaks (which I love so this isn’t a chore)
• taking a burden off his plate (picking up his dirty socks, mailing a package, saying he can be exempt from an activity, etc.).

Happy Valentine’s Day to my dear husband, first and foremost, AND Happy Valentine’s Day to each of you: My Neighbor!

A New Work of Love,

Scarlett