Three steps to being the kind of person others are thankful for …

Even though there is an epidemic of loneliness across America today, we don’t let people come into our lives easily.

To the contrary, many “thought leaders” and various “gurus” stoke a mantra of ejecting from our lives any “toxic” people and others who aren’t of personal benefit. But instead of focusing on picking through the kind of people you want in your life, have you ever considered whether you’re the kind of person others want in theirs?

So how can you be the kind of person others are thankful to have in their lives? There are three things you can do to be the type of person people can be grateful for knowing …

1. Look at them. that may sound silly, but many people today — especially the lonely and the needy — feel invisible to others.

Kind of like a woman who had suffered from constant bleeding for 12 years. She had emptied her bank account seeing a variety of doctors, none of whom were able to help her. Being desperate, she heard of Jesus and thought He was her only hope.

He was.

She slinked through a crowd with the intent of just touching His robe, believing that would be enough to bring her healing. You can read the story in Mark 5:25-34. But key to the story was that Jesus knew someone had touched Him and He wanted to see this person who was in need and expressing faith in Him for healing.

People feel more genuinely valued when you look at them; when a person knows you see them, and want to look at them, they appreciate your action of taking notice of who they are.

2. Listen to them. It’s one thing to be seen, it’s deeper still to be heard. People feel more truly valued by those who listen to them.

Lonely people feel connected to those who listen to their story.

New connections are easily made just by listening to a new acquaintance.

People going through major life events need someone who will listen to their story more than give them advice.

Of all the people we appreciate in our lives, those who listen regularly top the list.

3. Love them. For most of us, the people we are most grateful for are those people who demonstrate — not just claim or talk about — but demonstrate sincere love for us. We all NEED to be loved, and hold in high esteem the people who really do love us.

What’s so hard about being the type of person others are thankful for having in their lives? It takes selflessness to take your attention off yourself to look at, listen to, and genuinely love another person. Are you this type of person?

Scotty