Your Property
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Galatians 6:1-5
You cannot put the lamb’s blood on someone else's house.
For you to restore another person who is caught in a trespass, you have to be spiritual yourself. To fulfill the law of Christ—restoring others by bearing their burdens—you have to be living in the law yourself. As you bear your own load, you will rejoice as you examine your work, assuming it is good. Once you have your own load under control, you are able to bear another’s burden. You cannot do this in your own strength, but when you become something strong and new through God’s work inside you. The presence of the lamb’s blood on your house keeps you alive so that you are then able to help others.
Control what's on your side of the fence.
A main part of maintaining your house is figuring out what's on your side of the fence and what's on the other side. As you demonstrate faithfulness in keeping your own house, you are able to move outward to maintain the rest of what’s inside your fence. With a well maintained yard, you will be able to influence your neighbors, but you can’t landscape your neighbors yard. Informing your neighbor on his weeds, so he will take care of them could prevent weeds from growing in your yard, but you can’t pull the weeds for your neighbor.
No one sees how hungry you are.
Your neighbors can’t see inside your house to know how hungry you are. Your neighbors can only see the pizza that gets delivered to your house and the grocery order sitting in front of your front door. Your neighbors only see your habits of how you feed yourself. Your neighbors will also see when you are sufficiently fed yourself and you can throw a block party to feed and restore your hungry neighbors with your extra food. If you have extra good food, your neighbors will be blessed; if you only have moldy leftovers, your neighbors will get sick and loathe your presence.
No one sees how much you hurt.
Your neighbors don’t get to see inside your life; they only see your reaction to your hunger and your hurt. They see your yard when it is unkept and the outside of your house when the paint is peeling off and the windows are black with dirt. You decide what you will seek to fill your hunger and ease your pain and your neighbors watch as you respond to life. You begin by monitoring what is going on inside your house and you progress to managing everything that is going on inside your fence. Then you influence your neighbors, but you still only control what is going on in your property.