What others see that we don’t …

It wasn’t just frustration that caused me recently to change from using Firefox as my browser to trying Chrome, it was hitting a wall that required it.

I was trying to access some information online and, for some reason, it simply wouldn’t load or function using Firefox. I had never experienced that problem with Firefox before. A prompt recommended trying another browser, so I asked friends what their experience was with Chrome and many of them encouraged me to switch from Firefox to that browser, saying it would provide a better online experience for me.

Not only did switching to Chrome resolve the particular issue I was facing at that time, it revealed to me that I had slowly become accustomed to multiple problems with Firefox that I had just adapted to rather than fixed.

When using Firefox with some social media sites (especially with Twitter), I would often get a message about a “script” running, and slowness or difficulty with many internet sites loading or functioning properly and difficulty playing videos. Over a period of time, I had just acclimated to the problems of Firefox, responding to them as being the “norm” for an online experience.

Yet, all of these issues improved dramatically just by switching to Chrome!

I had become so comfortable with Firefox that I almost decided to just accept the limitations I was facing, but the strong encouragement from others who assured me Chrome would provide a much better online experience led me to make a change I needed to make. They saw something I didn’t — they not only knew of the problems Firefox could cause, they also knew Chrome could easily resolve them for me, so they urged me to at least try it.

This experience with my computer is something we often experience with our lives — over time, we teach ourselves to become accustomed to the dysfunctions and malfunctions in our lives rather than fixing them. The problem with that is these issues will accumulate in our lives and have a variety of negative effects that drag us down and impede our healthy function. Because we slowly become used to these issues over a period of time and see them as our “normal,” we can become blind to the gravity of the problems we eventually stack up. But having others in our lives who care about our best interests can help us tremendously as they are able to see the faults for the problems they really are and can point them out to us and suggest a much better system.

The Bible is full of examples of how we live better lives when we have someone to share our lives with …

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken,” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend,” Proverbs 27:17.

As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus in loving and serving one another, we can speak into each other’s lives about those things the other is missing that we see. But it takes genuinely caring about one another …

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had,” Philippians 2:1-5.

Do you have mature Christians in your life you can trust to point out problems you’re fostering that you may not see yourself? Are you the kind of Christian who cares about others enough to be helpful to them when they need support to make changes in their lives?

Scotty