Those of us in ministry are called to care about those we serve. In John 15:12-13 Jesus left only one commandment for his people to observe: to love one another. Truly caring about people involves first being aware of people and then acting toward them in love.
People awareness questions:
Use these self-evaluation questions to determine how “in tune” you are to the people around you:
• Of the people who served you today, how many of their names do you remember?
• What special events or unusual issues are you aware of in the lives of family, friends and others you interacted with this week?
• What percentage of your thoughts would you estimate are normally centered on yourself?
• If someone you spent more than a few minutes with today were frustrated or depressed, what signals in their behavior would you have noticed?
• Are you generally aware of how the people around you are interacting with one another?
o Are there times when it may be appropriate for someone to dominate a situation?
o When it is not appropriate, suggest ways in which that domination can be dealt with effectively.
o Who should deal with it?
Questions about our attitudes toward people:
• Are you in the habit of manipulating people and situations for your own agenda?
• Would those who know you well agree with your evaluation of the previous question?
• Do you consider people to be an interruption in your schedule or a natural part of it?
• What are some specific ways you might bring blessing to the people and situations around you?
In following Jesus’ command to love one another, we must learn to care about people enough to notice their needs and act on them. Taking active notice of people can take form in a number of ways, including praying with them, paying a personal visit, making a phone call, sending an email, mailing a personal note and enlisting others’ help to meet the need.
Discuss the following statement: Others may offer better products and services but no one can be “you” to the people in your life.
