It was supposed to rain five inches last Sunday, so I did not
physically go to church that morning. Rather, I stayed home and watched
the service on the Internet. It wasn’t the same, but it was something!
The senior pastor was not preaching, but the youth pastor was, and
his sermon was about trials. In this post, I want to reflect on
something in particular that he said.
He said that, if we love others during their trials, then others will be more inclined to love us during our trials.
That reminded me of something that someone said to me over a decade
ago. I was complaining to a leader of a small group about not feeling
particularly loved in the group. He replied that people reap what they
sow: if I want friendship, then I need to sow the seeds of friendship
myself.
There is some wisdom to that. Of course, it is far from absolute.
And I mean FAR from absolute. A person can try without success to make
friends. Articles attest that loneliness is quite common in this day
and age. Still, it is good for me to ask myself: is there anything that
I am doing, or not doing, that may be turning people away from me?
Amidst all of this, I should remember that it is better to give than
to receive. I should try to be nice to people, even if I am not
entirely certain that they will reciprocate, and even if I fail to make a
connection with them.