Imagine that everyone that you meet is wearing a sign that says, “Make Me Feel Important”
In a recent post, we discussed how we are often more important than we realize. So today, I thought I’d flip the script a bit and repost an older article about how we need to make others feel important by imagining that everyone wears a sign that says, “Make me feel important.”
My church is a pretty large church in Tulsa, OK. There are several things that our church does to make a big church feel a little smaller with small groups, serving opportunities, outreaches, etc. One of the things we used to do was called a “section community” which is defined as people who connect weekly by sitting in the same section of the auditorium when they come to church. Each section has section leaders who facilitate connection among the section members.
My section had some pretty great leaders—Scott and Dawn. One way they connected with us on a regular basis outside of service was through some encouraging e-mails and Facebook posts. One time they sent an e-mail that I TOTALLY loved, and I got their permission to share it on my blog. It’s about how we, as Christians, should be treating others. In particular, they shared how we should imagine that everyone that we encounter on a day-to-day basis is wearing a sign that says, “Make me feel important”.
Here is Scott and Dawn’s e-mail message:
MAKE ME FEEL IMPORTANT!!!
Not too long ago, I had a chance meeting with one of my high school classmates. Since that day, we have reestablished our friendship. Over the past few weeks, we have done some work together, and I noticed that she would bring a Pepsi with her every time. So the next time that I went to the store, I took the opportunity to buy a case of Pepsi along with my choice, Diet Coke. The next meeting with her I showed her the case to tell her that she didn’t need to bring one with her. What happened next, shocked me.
Tears of joy streamed out of her eyes! WOW! A hug ensued! WOW! Many, many, many thank you’s! WOW! Who’d a thunk a simple case of Pepsi would produce such emotion? Not I! I asked her why. She began to let me know that she has had a lot of mess the past few years and no one had taken the time to be nice to her like this! WOW! Like I said, who’d a thunk it!?
I’m not posting this to pat myself on the back or call attention to myself. I’m writing this to encourage you let you know that life is bigger than YOU! Take a look around. There is AMPLE opportunity to make this life on Earth more enjoyable for yourself and others too! It IS better to GIVE than to receive!
Luke 6:38 New International Version (NIV) “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Never underestimate a chance meeting. It may be an opportunity to change someone’s day or maybe even life! EVERYONE is wearing a sign for you. That sign says, “Make Me Feel Important!” Do it! See what happens next!
Expecting GREAT Things!
Don’t forget about Pray First in the morning! 7:30am Have a blessed week!
Scott & Dawn
“Make me feel important” corresponds with the second greatest commandment
Wasn’t that such a huge chunk of wisdom? It’s so full of easy and simple advice…Picture everyone you meet wearing a sign that says “Make me feel important”. I can’t think of a better way to express what Jesus said is the second greatest commandment:
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31
This commandment is only second in importance to loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. I also personally believe that the second command—to love our neighbor—is HOW we go about showing our love for God in a tangible, practical way. If somebody says to us “make me feel important”, we can do this by loving on them and showing God’s compassion and kindness toward them. It really does stand out in today’s narcissistic and self-entitled culture where people rarely go out on a limb for another. It should be a distinguishing characteristic of Christians, to be honest. People should AUTOMATICALLY know that we are Christians and know that we are different, based on how we act and how we treat others.
Take Some Practical Steps to Respond to the Sign “Make Me Feel Important”:
-
First, respond to “Make Me Feel Important” by doing a random (or not so random) act of kindness EACH day this week.
What can you do to brighten someone’s day? It can be something truly simple…
-
-
- Open a door for someone
- Give genuine compliments freely
- Give someone a hug or a pat on the back
- Sit by and/or talk to somebody who looks lonely
- Take some fuzzy slippers and a soft blanket to somebody in the hospital
- Buy a pack of diapers for a single mom
- Get somebody a “Tuesday” gift (or it could be any day of the week…a very special friend of mine used to do this for us all the time before she passed away)
- Send somebody a card or a note letting them know you were thinking of them
- Offer a ride to somebody without a vehicle
- Pay a toll or buy the meal of the person behind you
- Write a nice comment on somebody’s blog 😉
- Offer to babysit for a friend(s) who don’t get to go out much
- Give a “thank you” card to a janitor
- Buy someone a case of Pepsi! (oh…but not if their favorite is Coke!) 🙂
- Get some inspiration here on this post “Restore your faith in humanity”, Google “random acts of kindness ideas”, or do a search on Pinterest for “restore faith in humanity”…but I warn you…have a box of tissues handy because there are some real tear-jerkers!
-
I could go on and on…but you can do some more research, get ideas on your own, or even better—Pray and ask God to reveal to you some ideas or things that you could do each day to make somebody feel important.
-
Next, respond to “Make Me Feel Important” by answering this question each time you walk away from somebody… “Did I make them feel smaller or taller?”
Make others feel taller, not smaller
Hopefully your answer will always be “taller”. Get some tips in this post on the do’s and don’ts to make sure you always leave people feeling taller and not smaller.
Also, consider revisiting these posts:
Acts of Kindness and Good Deeds
We Can Use What We Have to Serve Others
Be Kind: Put on Your Kindness Hat
The Benefits of Service Learning
Do You Love Your Neighbor? Your ACTUAL Neighbor?
Let Your Life Speak Louder Than Your Words
-
Finally, respond to “Make Me Feel Important” by being a giver this week.
Give love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit resides inside of you, and this is the fruit (a natural by-product) of what is produced in our lives.
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:25 (NLT)
Now go and make people feel important this week!
What are some of the things that YOU’VE done to respond to the sign “Make Me Feel Important”? Share them with us by leaving a comment below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are rude, disrespectful, sarcastic, offensive, divisive, or off-topic. By posting on this site you agree to my Comment Policy.
P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy receiving new posts delivered right to your inbox each week! Sign up here.
If you have benefited from this post or if you know anyone that could benefit from this, please pay it forward and share this post with them via the sharing links below! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
* Updated: Orignally posted 6/7/2016
