Go Beyond

I = Interest | Jesus invested personal interest in others. That’s one of the things that set Him apart from the religious leaders of His day. He cared about ordinary people — the kind of people easily overlooked because they live in the blurry world of our peripheral vision. It’s easy to convince ourselves that there is little or nothing interesting about certain people. But honestly, everyone is interesting if we will just take the time to find out how they are interesting. The only way to do that is to invest interest in others — to converse with them and to ask meaningful questions that can give us deeper insight into their lives. Investing interest in others also has the added benefit of affirming their worth. People generally appreciate it when others take a personal interest in them.

N = Needs | Investing personal interest in others is one of the best ways to learn about their needs. Parents who spend time with their kids are more likely to know about the challenges or hurts their kids are facing than parents who are too busy to do so. The same is true of any relationship. The less time we spend with others the less likely it is that we will know about and be responsive to their needs. That’s why it’s so important that we take time to converse with others and to actually listen to what they say. Spending time with others, asking meaningful questions, and listening to them can give us valuable insight into their lives.

V = Vision | Vision is the ability to look beyond the actualities in order to behold the possibilities. Jesus demonstrated that kind of vision. When Jesus met Simon for the first time, He looked beyond what Simon was and envisioned what he could become (John 1:42). Jesus then took the time to help Simon reach his potential — to become Peter, the solid man Jesus had envisioned he could become. When we invest interest in others and learn about their needs, it’s much easier to envision how God can use us to make a difference in their lives. However, God can’t use us to make a difference in the lives of people facing loneliness, addictions, suicide, domestic abuse, divorce, or hopelessness unless we take that first step of being genuinely interested in the welfare of others.

E = Example | Jesus set the ultimate example of what it means to invest in others. The Apostle Paul said that Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” (Phil. 2:7). Paul also outlined what it takes to invest in others: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your personal interests, but also for the interest of others” (Phil. 2:4). It’s easier to be filled with self-importance than it is to empty ourselves and regard others as more important than ourselves. But, unless we are willing to empty ourselves of ourselves, we will miss opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.

S = Sacrifice | Paul also said that Jesus “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). It always costs us something to make the kind of investment that will yield big dividends. Investing in the lives of others may require us to give up what we want in order to give others what they need. But, if we will look beyond the actualities to consider the possibilities, then we can sacrifice with the confidence that what we invest will yield fruit in the future.

T = Time | It takes time in order for any investment to mature and to begin yielding dividends. The word “time” reminds us that we must faithfully stick to the task of investing in others, that we should not grow weary in well-doing, that we should not become discouraged —  thinking that our time and efforts are being wasted, and that we should remain prayerful, persistent, and patient as we allow God to use us. If we do this, then we will see our investment come to maturity. So, let’s invest in others. And, let’s always keep in mind that investing personal interest in others is the first step to making a difference in their lives. Who will you invest in today?