Get Out of Yourself!

Years ago while traveling, I received some tragic news and began crying in the airport. My traveling companion patted my arm, said, "It will be fine," and ran off to buy a snack for the trip. The rest of the trip she talked about things happening in her life and never asked about my situation.

Sometimes God gives us extremely bad examples so we'll recognize our own selfishness and be more sensitive when faced with similar situations.

I admit that I have sometimes talked when I should have listened. I've sometimes ignored signs of stress in my friends' lives. I've sometimes climbed into a box where I could only see things from my perspective.

Retired seniors envy the family life of young parents while busy parents envy the freedom of empty nesters. Children tend to envy the independence of adults while adults envy the carefree life of a child. It's easy to become so narrow-minded that we forget the challenges and hardships of others.

George Washington Carver, American inventor and educator who was born a slave, refused to live inside a box of selfishness or self-pity even though he had plenty of reasons to do so.

Instead, he said,“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.”(1)

Carver's advice is biblical: 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4

Even if one of our relationships involves warning or correction, we can do it lovingly and patiently if we take our focus off ourselves. 

"We urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone." 1 Thessalonians 5:14

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(1) Site: About.com

I think you'll enjoy these other 1-minute devotions about George Washington Carver: Carver Overcame Evil, 300 Uses for the Peanut
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