Finally everyone was allowed in that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written on it. No problem, right? The catch was they had to do it within five minutes.
Chaos instantly erupted as each attendee began frantically searching for his name. They were pushing and shoving, stepping on each other's toes, running into each other, shouting and laughing.
At the end of five minutes a whistle sounded. Not a single balloon had been located!
Then the seminar leader told them the rules were going to change. This time each person was asked to randomly pick up a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within just a few short minutes everyone had their own balloon.
The speaker pointed out that this is what happens in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is. We are chasing after our own needs and desires, without regard for others. What other people need and what they are going through is not even considered most of the time.
The attitude of the world today is to “get what I can get; you’ll have to fend for yourself.” Now, there certainly are unbelievers who are kind and thoughtful of others, but for the most part, the world teaches us to play dirty, getting what we think belongs to us.
The application for the follower of Christ is that we are to put the needs of other people over our own. When we scratch and bite to get our own way, we rarely accomplish our objectives, and most of the time, someone gets hurt. This applies to every area of our lives, whether it be our marriages, our children, our neighbors, our work or school relationships, and especially others in the Family of God.
The Scriptures are not silent on this: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up ...” (Eph 4:29). “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (Rom 15:2).
When we live like that, according to the Scriptures, we won’t be so concerned about where our balloon is. With the Spirit of Christ, we will be helping others find theirs. And in so doing, we will find our own.
--Rocky Henriques, www.uticabc.com