SimplifySample

Not long ago, I was working through some conflict with my best friend. During this, I had a hard time thinking positively about my friend because of what happened that caused the conflict. But, I found ways to remind myself that Jesus cares about everyone no matter what, which means that we can too. This doesn’t change even when we conflict with other people. Jesus modeled what we’re talking about throughout His life in some really serious ways. People mocked, despised, tortured, and even killed Jesus on a cross, yet He still cared about every single one of those humans. In Philippians 2:4, Paul tells us to not only look out for our interests but the interests of others as well. This means that, as much as we can, we should think about other people and care for them. Even when it’s hard. Even when we’d rather not. Even when all we can think about are our hurt feelings…we should always consider thinking about other people.

Now, this doesn’t mean if you are being hurt by someone mentally, emotionally, or physically that you should just shrug it off. No! You should still take care of yourself and talk to a trusted adult. But this means that when you’re in conflict with a friend, or in a bad mood toward someone, or when you’d rather focus on yourself instead of care for them, you’re invited to do what Jesus did.

Today, find a way to look out for the interests of those around you and do something to show someone else you care…even if it’s a friend you’ve had a conflict with in the past.

Written by Anna, age 19, from Shawnee, Kansas, USA