Greatest Sign of Immaturity?
Made a case yesterday that immaturity looks like self-centeredness. And so, perhaps the greatest sign of immaturity is … how much time you spend talking about yourself.
- I know a lot of people who can turn any conversation around to themselves. Someone says, “The other day I almost got in a car accident,” and this person immediately follows with, “Yeah, I almost got in a car accident too, let me tell you…” Or someone says, “My daughter is breaking my heart right now…” and this person launches into a similar story of their own. (And you just want to say, “Yeah, but maybe this isn’t about you right now. Maybe you just need to listen?”)
- I know other people where every time you’re with them, you know you’re going to hear several long stories from their lives. (And you just want to say, “Yeah, that’s a great story, but maybe someone else has a story they’d love to share and you’re not letting them.”)
Maybe when Jesus said He didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and that we should follow that example – maybe He didn’t just mean that we should feed the homeless and vacuum the house? Maybe He meant that it’s not about us, and that we need to put other people before ourselves. And maybe that means keeping our mouth’s shut sometimes and really listening…