Tips for Life
by Alan Bailey
The cry of the present day seems to be “Get outta my way!”
You see the grimace on the face of the man or woman who was beaten to the parking bay at the supermarket. At times it will be heard in the impatient blowing of the car horn or the shouted insult. At least in the western world, considering oneself first has become the rule of life. Individualism has gone mad. Richard Dawkins blames what he calls the ’selfish gene’. It strikes me that it has much more to do with the conscious choices we make.
An epidemic
Has our affluence caused the spread of this disease? If so, why don’t we share more if there’s more to share? All I know is that it is causing a lot of unhappiness. There are men and women today who really don’t want to allow their home and family responsibilities to encroach on their lifestyle. After all, if you don’t look after the interests and the future of number one, then who will? All those people and responsibilities at home will just use you up.
Sadly in this environment, children learn quickly to be ungrateful and selfish. With a divorce rate that is around 50% things don’t look like improving in a hurry.
Different attitudes
There are different attitudes that are available to us in life and thankfully, there are still people about who exhibit the better ones. In fact, despite the modern trend we are talking about, there has been a tremendous response from people around the world, exhibiting a different attitude in helping alleviate suffering from major disasters in various countries. We can all be grateful for that.
First attitude
People preoccupied with themselves and their needs say; ‘Here I am.’ When entering a room or being out in public, this person is saying ‘I’m here. Look at me. Accept me. Compliment me. Help me. Recognise me.’ With this kind of thinking going on inside their heads, these people will always be marked by self-interest, wanting to gain something from others.
Second attitude
This one says ‘There you are.’ When meeting others, or being out in company, this man or woman is discovering someone else. He or she is saying, ‘There you are—and how are you? Are things going well for you? Let me show an interest in you. Is there a way I can help or encourage you?’
For a healthy outlook, we should try to adopt this very different approach. It is the approach of love and thoughtfulness for others. How much more tolerable life would be if we had this kind of epidemic among us!
There’s still one more
Another attitude that people can have in life is, ‘There He is!’ They have found that the person worth looking to and recommending to others is the Lord of life, Jesus.
They are saying, “Look at Him! He is worth taking note of.” He loves you more than anyone else could. He holds the key to life, to understanding, to the future—even the eternal future. They have seen who Jesus is and what He accomplished for us in His death and resurrection. The verse that underlines Jesus concern for others and for you, is from the book of Romans chapter 5 and verse 8 which says; ‘But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’
There are millions around the world who have experienced the difference He makes and they want to say, “There He is. Look to Him.”