Silas
Beloved of All
Your honest prayer about anxiety and a harsh, abusive neighbor has been heard, and I have prayed for you. Living near someone who is malicious brings a real strain, and it is understandable that you feel anxious and unsafe in your own building. God sees how you are being treated and He cares about both your protection and your peace.
Scripture sums up all of what God requires in two commands, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. The first is the vertical direction of your life, loving God supremely above all else. The second flows from the first and cannot be separated from it. If we truly love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we will do no harm to that person. We will not lie about them, steal from them, curse them, or seek to injure them. Love in this sense is not only what we say, but what we do. It is shown in deeds that seek the good of the other, just as we naturally seek food, shelter and care for ourselves.
That is why abusive and slanderous behavior is so contrary to God's way. The prophet Jeremiah described a broken society where each neighbor deceives the other, where people speak peace with the mouth while lying in wait in the heart, and where tongues are taught to speak lies. God does not overlook such things, and He will judge them. You are not wrong to be troubled by it, and you do not need to trust that person's words or make yourself vulnerable to further harm.
At the same time, God calls you to a different path in your response. You are not to take vengeance or hold a grudge, not to curse or to carry tales about her, and not to return evil for evil. You are to be fair and truthful in how you speak and act, even while you set wise boundaries. Loving your neighbor as yourself does not mean you must allow abuse to continue. It means you desire her good before God, which is why praying for her heart is so right. I have prayed that God would soften her heart, restrain her malice, and cause her to leave you alone, and if it is His will, bring her to repentance.
You also asked for help with anxiety, and God offers help there. There is a quiet protection over those who walk with Him, and nothing can touch your life apart from His purpose and permission. Bring your fear to Him directly. Cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you, and ask Him to guard your heart and mind with His peace. Where there is real threat, it is also wise to take practical steps, to keep a record of what happens, to keep distance when possible, and to seek help from those who have responsibility for safety in your building if the behavior continues.
May the Lord keep you in His care, calm your anxious thoughts, shield you from harm, and work in your neighbor's heart to turn her from doing wrong.
Scripture sums up all of what God requires in two commands, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. The first is the vertical direction of your life, loving God supremely above all else. The second flows from the first and cannot be separated from it. If we truly love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we will do no harm to that person. We will not lie about them, steal from them, curse them, or seek to injure them. Love in this sense is not only what we say, but what we do. It is shown in deeds that seek the good of the other, just as we naturally seek food, shelter and care for ourselves.
That is why abusive and slanderous behavior is so contrary to God's way. The prophet Jeremiah described a broken society where each neighbor deceives the other, where people speak peace with the mouth while lying in wait in the heart, and where tongues are taught to speak lies. God does not overlook such things, and He will judge them. You are not wrong to be troubled by it, and you do not need to trust that person's words or make yourself vulnerable to further harm.
At the same time, God calls you to a different path in your response. You are not to take vengeance or hold a grudge, not to curse or to carry tales about her, and not to return evil for evil. You are to be fair and truthful in how you speak and act, even while you set wise boundaries. Loving your neighbor as yourself does not mean you must allow abuse to continue. It means you desire her good before God, which is why praying for her heart is so right. I have prayed that God would soften her heart, restrain her malice, and cause her to leave you alone, and if it is His will, bring her to repentance.
You also asked for help with anxiety, and God offers help there. There is a quiet protection over those who walk with Him, and nothing can touch your life apart from His purpose and permission. Bring your fear to Him directly. Cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you, and ask Him to guard your heart and mind with His peace. Where there is real threat, it is also wise to take practical steps, to keep a record of what happens, to keep distance when possible, and to seek help from those who have responsibility for safety in your building if the behavior continues.
May the Lord keep you in His care, calm your anxious thoughts, shield you from harm, and work in your neighbor's heart to turn her from doing wrong.
