Often in a relationship or friendship, we are unaware the other person’s needs. We become calloused. We stop listening. We’re oblivious to the pressure they’re under. Simply stated, the root of many problems in a relationship is insensitivity. Everyone you meet needs kindness. The people who sit around you in church have major hurts; you’re just unaware of them. We find a great example of sensitivity in the life of King David. David’s friend, Jonathan – Saul’s son – had been killed. Now, safely enthroned for several years, David made a rare request. He asked if anyone was left in Saul’s family that he could help. He discovered Saul’s grandson – Jonathan’s son – Mephibosheth, who was injured in both feet. When David sent for him, Mephibosheth almost certainly thought, ‘I’m going to be killed because I am a member of the enemy’s family, the old dynasty.’ But notice David’s words: ‘Don’t be afraid…for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table’ (2 Samuel 9:7 NIV). Mephibosheth’s reaction is interesting: ‘What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?’ (v. 8 NIV). He felt like a dog and expected to be treated like one. But the point you need to notice is this: David took time, made the effort, and was sensitive to his needs. One of the dangers of success is that the pressures that accompany it can make you insensitive towards others. Question: to whom do you need to become more sensitive today?
