Topic: The Key to Improving Your Relationships [RICK WARREN Devotional 12 November 2019]

BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 12, 2019

“Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 TLB).Do you want to know the key to better relationships in life?

You must learn to serve.

The root of most relational problems is self-centeredness. You must deal with other issues, but the root is almost always self-centeredness. We want what we want, when we want it. Neither person will budge—and that causes conflict.

That’s why you need to step out of your own perspective and learn to serve others. Serving other people changes you, and it changes your relationships along the way.

One of God’s greatest lessons he wants you to learn while you’re on this planet is how to be unselfish. It’s a lifelong course of study. Unfortunately, so many people go a whole lifetime without learning it.

You can choose to live differently, though. You can learn to be unselfish. How? It’s simple, really: You copy Jesus.

Jesus says it like this: “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 TLB).

Next time you read about the life of Jesus in the Bible, notice how he dealt with others. Watch how he always put others before himself. When you imitate his attitude, you live your life not for your benefit but for the benefit of others. Jesus consistently showed this throughout the Gospels.

Learn to do that and you’ll improve your relationships. You’ll not only become more like Jesus, but you’ll also become more respected and loved by your friends. People want to be around those who are constantly trying to serve others and not just furthering their own agenda.

Don’t try to be interesting; be interested. Be interested in others. If you do that, people will think you’re the greatest person in the world. Most people are only interested in themselves. When you’re interested in them, they will value you—and maybe even consider you the greatest conversationalist who ever lived.

The Bible says of serving unselfishly, “If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too” (Romans 14:18 NLT).

Unselfishness will transform your relationships.

Who in your life serves as a good example of serving unselfishly?
When do you find it most difficult to interact unselfishly with others? Why?
Which relationship in your life can you improve this week as you serve the other person unselfishly?