Everyone has a story. And it’s true many are in difficult situations of their own making. All the same, love calls us to care for the needs of others and not look down on them as we do. In fact, whether we realize it or not, we’re ministering to Christ in these moments, and we should look at others as if we’re looking at the face of Christ himself.
On the one hand, our heart attitude doesn’t matter to the person in need. In desperate moments, there’s neither the time nor luxury to demand certain treatment. Instead, there’s much gratitude in receiving help regardless of how it’s packaged. However, while certainly it’s better to still meet the needs of others even if our heart is full of pride, this doesn’t mean how we view and care for others has no consequences.
To be sure, it has an impact on them. While they might be grateful for receiving help in their time of need, no one likes to be treated as less than human. And when our eyes are full of pity and disdain as we serve, we’re robbing them of their human dignity. And this makes it much harder for them to know that they’re still worthy of love and belonging, and live fully in this truth.
Likewise, without a doubt, when we look down on others, our pride also stains the reflection of love we’re called to reveal. It’s not enough to just appear good or even do good things if we’re not also becoming love. And regardless of their lot in life, we must learn to see and serve others as we would Christ himself.
In the end, learn to see the face of Christ in those you serve. This is not a look of shame or of arrogance, but a look of true love.
Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash
