Be Considerate

Be Considerate

BE CONSIDERATE

Let each of you look out not for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

The second principle for connecting with people is to be considerate of other people’s needs. In other words, if you want to connect with people, you’ve got to start with their needs, not your own. That’s how you make that initial connection. There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.”

The Bible talks about this in Philippians 2:4: “Look out for one another’s interests not just your own.” That is such a counter-cultural verse. Everything in our culture – from the moment we’re born – tends to train us to think ‘me first.’ As a result, we’re all disconnected because we’re all thinking about ourselves and not thinking about the needs of other people.

Yet, one thing we all need to always keep in mind is “It’s not about me!” The world doesn’t revolve around you just as it doesn’t revolve around me. You’re very special in God’s eyes. You were created for a purpose. But the world does not revolve around you.

Here’s another truth – If you want your needs to be met, first start focusing on meeting the needs of other people. Why? Because God wants you to learn to be unselfish. He wants you to learn to love, to be generous like Him.

Part of being considerate of other people’s needs is making allowances for their faults. Colossians 3:13 says “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love forgets mistakes.” It’s not that you are blind to someone else’s faults; rather, you choose to overlook them. Great friends are good forgetters.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to touch your heart and give you a heart of love for all people.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 2:1-11

Be Considerate