Most of us were raised in an environment that gave the majority of its attention to self-preservation.  We’ve been programmed to make sure our needs are met first, and then maybe we’ll consider the needs of others.  I believe one of the most challenging things God instructs us to do is to get our focus off of ourselves and put it on those around us.  We need to train ourselves to look outward and not only inward.

God says it this way in Philippians 2:4: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”  Jesus is our perfect example of One who considered the needs of others before His own needs.  Everything He did in His life reflects that His focus was on helping those around Him.  His life then ended in a death that was the epitome of service to those He cared for.

If you want to give others an example of a good God who desires to do good things in their lives, it’s essential that you consider the needs of others and how you can help meet those needs in practical ways.  It’s important to verbally share how good God is, but if all we do is talk about God’s goodness and give no living example of it, our influence in the lives of others will be extremely limited.  It’s been said that “talk is cheap”.  Let’s back up our word with our actions.  There are plenty of people with plenty of needs all around you right now.  Consider today how you can be the answer to someone’s prayer!