attuned to the needs of others
How can you, on a daily basis, challenge yourself to 'look outside' and be more aware of the needs of those around you?
Mark 9:35
Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.”
I’ve never been good at seeing the needs of others. One of my close friends from my early twenties would spot a need from a mile away. A parent wrestling with a stroller and overflowing grocery bags would approach a building, and before I even registered the struggle, my friend would rush to help. If she saw an individual struggling to stand on the bus, she was always first to give away her seat.
She seemed naturally attuned to the needs of others, whereas I felt like I didn’t have that natural inclination to do the same. Or, at the very least, my reaction time needed some help.
It challenged me to be more attentive – to look outside myself and see the individuals around me. To be more like those in “last place” that Jesus taught about, who purposefully took in their surroundings – noticing everyone and everything – because they aren’t bulldozing over others.
Think about a time in your own life when you realized you weren't fully attentive to the needs of others. How did this realization impact you? How can you, on a daily basis, challenge yourself to 'look outside' and be more aware of the needs of those around you?