She was “up in years”, her body was small and skeleton thin, her shoulders were slightly bent, her steps painful slow. As she approached, I would greet her with a smile and a hearty bone – crushing handshake. I had been taught that a man was judged by the firmness of his grip. The problem, each handshake sent pain through her arthritic hand and would almost bring tears to her eyes. Finally, someone took me aside and explained that several of the older members had mentioned that they did not like to shake hands with the preacher.
This is just one example of how we can be so concerned about one thing that we are totally oblivious to its negative effects. True love for others calls us to not be blind to the results of our action even when those actions are taken with a good intent. Paul said it this way, “…do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others,” Phi 2:4. In Romans 12:10, we read, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honor.”
The problem is often not a lack of Love, it is the absences of sensitivity, not the unwillingness to serve but the inability to evaluate how best to serve. We are often hurt because there seems to be little appreciation for our efforts or gestures of Love. But then how would you feel if someone paraded before you a group of your friends and announced that you were poor and the church had paid your rent, or your house was a mess and some of the ladies were going to try to clean it up.
Jesus impresses us with his gentleness and he speaks to the woman at the well, Zacchaeus Nicodemus, or “Doubting” Thomas or the apostle Peter after his shameful denial. Christ was able to meet the needs of the people in a way that allowed them to maintain their dignity. May we seek a greater Level of Sensitivity as we strive to understand and serve.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29
Brother Dave
