This has become a very hard habit for me to break. To stop thinking about me, me, me, and instead think about others. To put others needs first. This is what Jesus taught. He taught that we should treat others as we treat ourselves, but to also think of other's needs as better than our own.
I have...stop it Katherine! Let me start again. My mission today was to try to treat others in this manner, but I found it very hard to be enthusiast, I could blame it on Monday-itis, but that's not really the cause. I don't know, maybe it is that I have been doing the same tasks at my job for too long, maybe I am sick of saying the same thing, seeing the same faces and just need a change. When I serve customers I wonder if they really see who I am, or just see the servant. I guess that doesn't really matter, as to be one of Christ's followers is to humble yourself like he did and to serve others with joy. Sometimes I find it a very difficult task though, especially if they are not always happy.
What I am trying to explain is that to care about others is to want to share part of your spirit, your soul with them, and in doing so it is sometimes nice to see that they want to reciprocate. It is painful though when others do not seem to see your efforts or do not have the time to care. But I guess it works both ways; sometimes I do not have the time to care for some of my customer's spiritual needs and can't talk long enough to express that I do indeed care about what happens to them after they get home and unpack their groceries. I care if they don't come in to shop for a couple of weeks because they have had to have an operation or they physically couldn't make it in for one reason or another. I also care about the regulars who come in every week or just about everyday, sometimes I wonder if this is a way to stave off loneliness. I know that I have been known to go shopping purely just to get out of the house for a while.
It's not like I haven't thought about their needs before, and I often try to put myself into other people's shoes, so to speak. But during my work shifts I can still hear a voice nagging at me, saying, "Hurry up, serve the next customer, don't worry about this one, they are fine." Sometimes I need the nagging voice, as I can be quite a slow grocery packer but at other times it is quite beneficial to show patience towards the customers. Nobody likes to be pushed out of the way, brushed away like a biscuit crumb.
This may all be obvious to you but sometimes I need a reminder to be genuine and actually show genuine love for people. I wonder how my actions actually stand up to God's standards... I know that I'm a sinner, (we all are) so I can never live up to his standards perfectly, but if He had a check list for how to behave I wonder how I and everyone else would measure up!
I have just found a helpful link that suggests three ways to avoid being so self-absorbed in our lives. Hopefully it inspires and encourages. Anyway, I have finished my little rant for this evening, enjoy and take care. :)
http://societychurch.com/3-ways-to-avoid-self-centered-living/
