Learn To Value Others

"Love your neighbor as yourself."  Mark 12:31


"Here are two things we should never do:  (1)  Expect to feel fully at home in this world because "we are citizens of heaven" (Phil. 3:20).  (2)  Become so heavenly minded that we are no earthly use.  The "salt' and "light" principles Jesus taught call for us to influence and illuminate others for good and for God.  That means taking responsibility to do things better at home, on the job, and in all our dealings.  If the only people you show genuine care for are in your church, your salt isn't flavoring and your light isn't dispelling darkness.  Christ's command to "Love your neighbor" includes the less-than-loveable.  And you only love others when you add value to their lives!  You ask, "How do I do that?" 


(1)  By truly valuing them.  That calls for believing in them before they believe in you, serving them before they serve you, loving them before they love you, and giving to them without expecting anything in return.
(2)  By making yourself more valuable.  But you can't give what you don't have.  So you must earn and grow, in order to give and guide. 
(3)  By knowing what they value.  What happens when you're interested only in your own agenda?  You know very little about the people around you.  Make others' priorities, your priorities.  Ask to hear their stories.  Discover their hopes and dreams.  Make their success part of your mission.
(4)  By doing things that God values.  When your life is done, what will you have lived for?  Eventually everything on earth will turn to dust - including you!  So give yourself to things that will last beyond your lifetime."

This was from my devotional this morning, and I was greatly challenged by it.  Actually I would have to say I am in a very challenging season in my life right now.  The Lord is revealing many areas in my heart that are not right, are selfish, critical, and are generally NOT like Him.  I have seen many ways in which the decisions and actions that I have taken over the last few years were more focused on ME, rather than on God.  I praise the Lord that He has led me to a place where I am solely dependent upon Him, so that I could finally hear and see these things that He is showing me now, as I desperately want to be like Him, and I don't want to make the same mistakes as He leads me down these different and unfamiliar paths.  But I am a little overwhelmed by seeing the critical spirit that I have, and the decisions I have made that were not truly loving of others.  I certainly have not been fulfilling 1 Corinthians 13.  I thank God that He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in love and kindness, and faithful in revealing at exactly the right time the things of which we need to repent and surrender to Him, that He may lovingly discipline and prune us that we might bear much fruit.  It hurts...but I trust God and His word and believe that it will "yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness" in due season.  Thank you, Lord.