I was told earlier this week that a man in my church died. He wasn't that old, and I didn't think he was sick, so I was surprised by his death. I only knew him through brief interactions on Sunday mornings, and those interactions caused me to really like the guy. He always made a point to find me...just to tell some jokes and laugh with me a little. I always appreciated the big smile and laughter he brought my way each Sunday morning.
After being informed of his death, I looked into it a little and was shocked to learn that he committed suicide. Then, just by asking a couple more questions, I learned a lot more about the troubles and adversity he was going through.
This is a harsh reminder to me of how much we don't know about so many people we see on a regular basis. The reality is, we tend to see others by what they do for us (or don't do) and how they make us feel (whether good or bad). We tend to live self-centered lives. At least I do.
It's a shame this guy didn't live to fight another day, but at a minimum, his death is going to cause me to better apply Philippians 2:4.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
If we simply look past ourselves and look to the interests of others, we don't have any idea what kind of difference we can make.
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