Friday, October 12, 2012

"Why Do Something For Others?"

Alfred Adler is known as one of the “founding fathers” of modern psychology. He is remembered mostly for his analysis of the impact of birth order on personality and what he called his “Fourteen-Day Cure Plan.” He claimed that his plan could cure anyone of mental illness in just fourteen days if they would just do exactly as he told them to do.

One day a woman who was extremely depressed came to see him. He told her, “I can cure you of your depression in just fourteen days if you will follow my advice.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked.

“If you will do one thing for someone else every day for fourteen days, at the end of that time your depression will be gone,” he told her.

She objected, “Why should I do something for someone else when no one ever does anything for me?”

Jokingly he responded, “Well, maybe it will take you twenty-one days.”

He knew that if she did something for someone she would be on her way toward improving her mental condition and “curing” her depression.

Paul said that we are to “share each others problems and troubles.” Christians must never develop an attitude that entertains the idea that we are excused from the task of helping others. It is sometimes difficult to think of “service before self.” But that is the way Jesus lived and died. As His disciples, can we do less?

Prayer: Lord, may we move from an attitude of self-centeredness to one of other-centeredness and see, hear, feel and meet the needs of others as You did. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

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