Living Selflessly (Part 4)

Bible verse for today: Psalm 142:4 "Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life" (NIV).

The best way to influence people is by genuinely caring about them. A good salesman who wants to market his new product to sceptical customers would first convince them how beneficial his goods will be to them in their everyday life before looking out for his pocket because he knows that without selling he can't realise his actual cost or make profit.

What is the criteria for calling someone your best friend? It means the persons cared a lot about you, enough to put your trust in them. Connecting with people to grow matters a lot in life which is why you feel better when you make other people's lives better.

The Word for Today devotional by United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) says:

The people you seek to influence in life always ask themselves: Do you care about me? Think about the best experiences you’ve had with people in your own life. What do they all have in common? They genuinely cared about you, right? And what’s wonderful is, you can broaden your ability to care about others outside your social circle. Regardless of your profession, when you help people, you make your life and theirs better. Let’s listen to some observations by successful people from various backgrounds. Business: ‘You can’t make the other fellow feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that he’s a nobody’ (Les Giblin, former national salesman of the year and popular speaker). Politics: ‘If you would win a man to your cause, you must first convince him that you are his sincere friend’ (President Abraham Lincoln). Entertainment: ‘Some singers want the audience to love them. I love the audience’ (Luciano Pavarotti, legendary Italian opera tenor). Ministry: ‘The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have’ (Norman Vincent Peale, pastor and author).

The Psalmist wrote, ‘No man cared for my soul.’ And deep down some of the people you deal with everyday feel that way, too. Whether you’re trying to share your faith, do business with them, make friends, or help them in a particular area, you must prove to them that you truly care. It takes time, effort, and even sacrifice, but if you’re serious about connecting with others, you’ll do it. The chances are somebody did it for you, and it helped determine the person you are today. So do it for others!