Philippians 2:4
“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
I recall a seminary professor share how easy it is to downplay the things that are meaningful or important to another person. If someone has achieved some major goal in his or her life, it is easy for us to ignore it or act as if it were insignificant.
That professor explained how he would go out of his way to get excited about an accomplishment someone shared with him. For example, a certain person had told him about a verse he had memorized and the professor exploded with joy and congratulations. It was just the response that person needed because others had always made him feel inferior and worthless. Contrary to the opinions of those around him, that man went on to become a dynamic spiritual leader in his area.
It does not have to be just spiritual accomplishments that we praise. We had a small man with a severe learning disorder in a church where I served as an associate pastor. The man could barely talk, but he loved to bowl. Somehow I discovered he carried a small book with his bowling scores written down.
Each week I made a point of looking at his book and getting excited about his scores. They were sometimes 25 or 30, but I tried to make him feel special. It not only made Roscoe feel special, it made me feel that I had met an angel unaware.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil