“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” ~ William Arthur Ward
It has been said that we are social animals and, in many ways, that is so true. We need the interaction of one another in our daily lives. In times of war, prisoners were often broken by being deprived of contact with others. Even in prisons, if someone is placed in solitary confinement for too long a period of time, that person can lose his or her mind. We need one another.
Not only do we need one another in terms of social settings, we need others so that we can become even better versions of ourselves. “When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” It is true. When we focus upon another and help that person to grow and develop, we find ourselves being changed in many ways as well, all for the positive.
That is one of the principles of stewardship. When we give of our time, talent, and treasure, we find that we become changed people. We are more in tune with the needs of others. We give of ourselves more freely. We feel better about the work that we have done. And God gives us even more so that we can continue blessing others.
God always looks for open conduits of His love. When He finds someone who is willing to love and serve others, He pours innumerable blessings into that person’s life, confident that those blessings will be distributed for the benefit of others. In the process, the one doing the distributing grows richer in faith and holiness. It’s the ultimate win-win situation.
We may have our own problems. We have our own needs. We have our own dreams and fears and desires and longings. Yet, when we focus on others, the problems in our lives tend to be resolved and the goodness in our lives tends to increase. God is so good to us!
FAITH ACTION: Be less concerned about yourself today and more concerned about those around you.