Be Sensitive

By Rick Warren

First, kind people are sensitive to others. They are aware of the needs of people around them. So become aware of the needs of these around you. Tune in to them. Kindness always starts with sensitivity. Philippians 2:4 says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Circle the word look. Kindness always starts with noticing the needs and hurts of others.

Often in marriage we are totally unaware of what our partner’s needs are. We have become calloused. We have stopped listening. We are oblivious to the pressure our mate is under. Simply stated, the root of many marriage problems is insensitivity.

Everyone you meet this week needs kindness because everyone is hurting somewhere. Even people who sit around you at church have major hurts. It’s just that you are not aware of them most of the time. So kindness starts with sensitivity.

We find an example of sensitivity and kindness in the life of King David as recorded in 2 Samuel 9. David was crowned king of Israel and had led the Israelites in a series of military victories. The former King Saul, who had opposed him and chased him for years, was dead. David’s friend, Jonathan—Saul’s son—had been killed. Now, safely enthroned for several years, David made an unusual request. He asked whether there was any one left in Saul’s family to whom he could be kind. He found Saul’s grandson—Jonathan’s son—Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet.

When David sent for him, Mephilbosheth probably thought, I am going to be killed because I am part of the enemy family, the old dynasty. But notice David’s kind words: “Don’t be afraid…for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table” (2 Sam. 9”7). Mephibosheth’s response is interesting: “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me? He apparently had a poor self image. But the point is that David actively looked for people to whom he could be kind. He was sensitive. How about you? To whom do you need to be kind this week? To whom do you need to be sensitive today?

Significance

A significant church is involved in bringing people into right relationship with God and one another and with helping believers develop godly character and ministry skills. A church focused on significance will be fulfilling its primary purpose: equipping believers for service. The components to becoming a significant church are

1. Vision—understanding where a church is and where it is going.

2. Spiritual Maturity—the development of Christian character in the personal lives of individual church members.

3. Outreach—how the church can fulfill its mission of reconciliation by serving, showing and telling.

4. Ministry Leadership—how you equip individuals to help others follow Christ by acting as mentors, guides, teachers and parents.

5. Small Groups—offer community and meeting needs, allowing more people to become actively involved in the life of the church.

6. Life-on-Life Mentoring—encouraging personal change and application of scriptural truth through one-on-one ministry.