God smacked me with truth today. I was sitting on the couch reading the Bible and opened it to this verse:
1 Thessalonians 5:14, “Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
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My footnotes say, “Don’t yell at the timid and weak; encourage and help them.”
At times it can be difficult to distinguish between idleness and timidity. Two people may be doing nothing—one out of laziness and the other out of shyness or fear of doing something wrong.
The key to ministry is sensitivity: sensing the condition of each person and offering the appropriate remedy for each situation. You can’t effectively help until you know the problem. You can’t apply the medicine until you know where the wound is.
Sensitivity. I’m lacking it.
Thanks Sundi for sharing on my blog today.
Sensitivity is the Key was a wonderful post. Sensitivity to a why a person is not active is very important. Shyness or fear of failure are not the only things to take into consideration. Sometimes they tried, and things didn’t work out. Also consider their physical condition. Some people may not look sick but are carrying a very heavy medical burden. They really want to minister and work for God’s kingdom as they did when they were younger, but just really aren’t able to. Be sensitive to those people too. They don’t want sympathy. They just want to be understood.