'To answer before listening--that is folly...' Proverbs 18:13 NIV
One of our Missional Values at CFW is to Serve Others! We believe that serving others shows the love Christ. To serve others effectively though, you must be attuned to what people need; what our community needs. So what keeps us from effectively serving others?
First: Assumption. A lady in an airport lounge bought a packet of donuts and sat down to read the newspaper. She heard a rustling noise and looked up to see the man beside her helping himself to the donuts. Not wanting to make a scene, she leaned over and took one herself, hoping he’d get the message. Then she heard more rustling. She couldn’t believe it. The man was helping himself to another donut! There was only one left! She watched in disbelief as he broke the remaining donut in two, pushed half across to her, popped the other half in his mouth, and left. She was still furious when her flight was announced. Imagine how she felt when she opened her handbag to get her ticket out—and found her unopened packet of donuts! Now be honest, didn’t you assume the stranger was helping himself to her donuts? Most people do and that tells us a lot about ourselves! Too often we’re guilty of making assumptions about people and once you put someone in a box, it’s hard to think of them any other way. Do you agree? Every time a good tailor sees a client, he takes new measurements. He never assumes they’re the same size as they were the last time. That’s a good policy. Never make assumptions about someone’s background, profession, race, gender, age, nationality, politics, faith, or other factors. Once you do, you stop paying attention and miss clues that can help you to know what they really need. You are Loved!
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