Our Responsibility

If you see your neighbor's ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner. If its owner does not live nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then you must return it. Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t ignore your responsibility.
Deuteronomy 22:1-3 NLT

We live in a day and time where people want to be separate from one another. They come home from work and go into their homes or backyards and expect privacy. What the neighbor is doing has nothing to do with them unless it encroaches on what they consider to be their time or space. It's a "mind your own business - stay out of mine" lifestyle. I don't believe that's how God intended it to be.

God set forth the rules and roles of our responsibilities while on this Earth and a great majority are our responsibilities to each other. 

Taking care of one another 
Bearing each other's burdens
Loving our neighbors as ourselves

Being moved with compassion
Loving as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for us

Forgiving one another

He commanded. He knew we'd have a hard time carrying out these commands. We'd have to be intentional about them. 

In the New Living Translation, it's "Don't ignore your responsibility." 

King James tells us to not hide ourselves.

The English Standard Version states we must not ignore them.

Proverbs 3 instructs us not to withhold help when it is within our power to help. Who is our neighbor? Anyone who needs our help. They are our responsibility. 

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for all the times we've looked the other way or selfishly withheld from our neighbor. Give us Your eyes to see, Your heart of compassion, and grace to pour out abundantly. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen