Monday, November 2 All of you have . . . fellow feeling.​—1 Pet. 3:8.

[Áine]

Monday, November 2

All of you have . . . fellow feeling.—1 Pet. 3:8.

 

To develop fellow feeling, try to understand what family members and fellow believers are going through. Take an interest in the teenagers in the congregation as well as in the sick, the elderly, and those who have lost loved ones in death. Ask how they are doing. Really listen as they express themselves. Help them sense that you truly understand what they are dealing with. Offer to help in whatever way you can. When we do this, we show genuine love in action. (1 John 3:18) We need to be flexible when trying to help others. Why? Because people react to hardship in different ways. Some are eager to talk, while others are more reserved. So we want to offer help, but we should avoid asking questions that are too personal. (1 Thess. 4:11) Even when others do open up, we may find that we do not always share their point of view. Yet, we need to recognize that this is how they feel. We want to be quick to listen and slow to speak.—Matt. 7:1; Jas. 1:19. w19.03 19 ¶18-19