Take An Interest In Others

 

May 24, 2022

Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful. Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this. Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible. When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time (Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders). Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions. Colossians 4:2-6 (CEV)

Dale Carnegie wrote one of our culture’s most famous books: How to Win Friends and Influence People. You may recall one of his salient points: “Become genuinely interested in other people.”

Or, as Paul put it 2,000 years ago: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders,” (v. 5a). If there were ever a verse needed for Christians today it is that one.

Why in the world can we not treat people nice? After all, we sure are good at treating ourselves well. Pedicures. Manicures. Selfies. Buying stuff for ourselves. Manipulating others to get what we want. Self-promoting. Self-absorbed. We even have a sense of entitlement.

We love ourselves so much we have forgotten how to love one another. And, ironically, that is what the world preaches and teaches: Me! Me! Me! Love yourself!

The word of God, in direct contrast, continually reminds us: “Love one another;” “Love your neighbor as yourself;” “Love your enemies;” “The greatest of these is love.”

And that is what Paul is truly pointing at, we think, in these verses from Colossians - love. Specifically, loving those who do not believe. Which is what Jesus was speaking about when he said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” Matthew 5:44-46).

The story is told of Gordon Maxwell, missionary to India, that when he asked a Hindu scholar to teach him the language, the Hindu replied: “No, Sahib, I will not teach you my language. You would make me a Christian.” Gordon Maxwell replied, “You misunderstand me. I am simply asking you to teach me your language.” Again the Hindu responded, “No, Sahib, I will not teach you. No person can live with you and not become a Christian.”

“No person can live with you and not become a Christian.”

Let us ask you a question: Do the people living around you know you love them? Not put clothes on their back and feed them love them. Not “go shopping or fishing with someone” love. Not “Here’s something you need” love. We are talking about loving someone in a way that reflects your desire for them to hear the Good News of Jesus. Can anyone live with you and “not become a Christian?” 

How do we express this love? How do we live with others in such a way that they will have no choice but to become a Christian?

You make the time you spend with unbelievers count.

Listen to them. Ask about them. Be interested in them. Be focused on them. Spend yourself on them. Let them know - without words - that you love them…by the way you treat them.

In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington.

In Ephrata there also lived Michael Wittman, who for whatever reason did all he could to oppose, deride and humiliate Preacher Miller. In an incredible turn of events, one day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason - a crime for which the only punishment was death.

Once he found out about the unfortunate situation, Peter Miller did the unthinkable: he traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of his enemy, the traitor.

"No, Peter," General Washington said. "I cannot grant you the life of your friend."

"My friend!?" exclaimed the old preacher. "He's the most bitter enemy I have."

"What?" cried Washington. "You've walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in a different light. Wittman, I'll grant your pardon."

Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata--no longer an enemy but a friend.

That is being interested in someone else. That is truly loving them. Sure, most of us will never have to walk the path of Preacher Miller. However, don’t we all have people around us who we are not friends with? Don’t we all have people who refuse to have anything to do with us?

Still, shouldn’t we be interested in them? In their lives? In their eternal destination? If we love them we will…