Day 3: CONNECTING WITH OTHERS: PART 2 OF 3
Yesterday we looked into the first step that is helpful for us to better connect relationally with others. Continuing with thoughts from author Larry Crabb, the next step in connecting with others includes:
- Remaining calm when badness is visible.
- Keeping confident that good lies beneath.
Specifically, Crabb writes, “When we look for the bad, we must always be looking harder for the hidden good.”
Here’s the deal – we live in a broken world. A broken world is full of broken people. And sometimes, hurt people hurt people. But as author Bob Goff writes, “God makes people. People make issues. But people aren’t issues.”
If we want to better connect with others, we need to not only remain calm when we see badness come to the surface in the lives of others, we also need to be confident that there is good there, too. We need to remember that they, too, were created by God, in the image of God, and for the glory of God. We need to remember that God made them, and they may be making issues, but that they themselves are not the issues. As you read today, consider this: Which of the quotes in today’s reading resonates with you most?
READING:
Which of the quotes in today’s reading resonates with you most?
Why do you think people struggle to look for the hidden good in others?
What are some daily practices you can put in place so that you more regularly look for the hidden good in others?
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
Read: Genesis 11-12
Reflect: What did you H.E.A.R. from God today? HEAR Bible Study Method
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I confess that in the same ways I see my own flaws, I often see the flaws within others more than I see the good that lies beneath. Today, I pray that You would provide me with reminders that everybody I see and interact with almost certainly has hidden good. That they, too, have been created by You, and that You have given them a purpose I may not always see or recognize. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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