If there’s something I struggle with more than anything else as a Christian it’s caring about others. Actually, let’s just call it what it is: I struggle with the sin of pride. Apparently I don’t completely understand Paul when he writes in Philippians 2:3-4:
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
My pastor has taught on this repeatedly, especially in the area of leadership, but it’s still something that I know goes on in my heart that I need redemption from — that is, caring about others and finding them interesting (and would add “above myself”). In a blog post I read today, Mark Altrogge quotes Piper on this subject and it really encouraged my heart:
In Finally Alive, John Piper’s great recent book about the new birth, he says, ‘Be encouraged that simply finding people interesting and caring about them is a beautiful pathway into their heart. Evangelism gets a bad reputation when we are not really interested in people and don’t seem to care about them.’
He goes on to share a story about an opportunity he had to share the Gospel with his postman. It’s worth a read if you’ve got 2 minutes.
[via Mark Altrogge.]
