I was at work one day when a coworker asked jokingly if I wanted to go catch her samples for her because it was cold. I told her that I had to catch samples too, but mine were water so that added to the cold factor. She replied that she didn’t ask me about what I had to do, she asked me to do something for her. Of course this was all in jest, but there is a valuable lesson here.
Many times we are so focused on our problems that we can’t see anybody else’s problems. Have you ever had something heavy on your heart and went to talk to someone only to stand there and listen to all their problems? If you haven’t, you will. This happens to everyone. Remember that, because the next time you meet someone and you start unloading they may be needing to unload too. They may have come to you to unload, but instead walk away with your burdens and theirs as well.
It reminds me of a phrase that I read that said: “Sorry I’m in the middle of my own storm, I can’t be your umbrella right now.” Hold on before you agree with that. This is actually counterintuitive. If you are going through a trial it often helps you to help others. As Booker T. Washington said: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
Practice asking someone else how they are first. You may be the only person that stops long enough to listen. Take time to stop and listen to each other’s problems. This way you can bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 KJV).
Philippians 2:3-5 NET 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,