It really bothers me how everyone acts like they are always in a hurry.  People ask you questions but don’t listen to the answers.  It seems like “how are you?” is just a standard greeting.  I remember talking to a good friend of mine not too long ago and he asked me how I was.  Just to see if he was actually listening and paying attention, I told him I was depressed.  He just kept talking about a few things going on in his life and then walked away.  It didn’t even register with him that I said I was depressed.

It seems nowadays we are kind because we have to be.  This saddens me.  People are so wrapped up in their own “busy” lives that most of the time they don’t have time for anyone else.  In Romans 12, Paul makes it clear that this is not how it is supposed to be.  We must be sincere.  I really like that.  I have a few good friends who are sincere to me.  When I talk they don’t look around, they listen to me, to what I am saying.  They remember what I said the last time I talked to them and they respond to my questions with complete sentences.  They ask me the hard questions and care about all aspects of my life.  They let me know they are available if I need them for anything.  These friends sometimes pay for my meals and don’t ask for gas money.

It is impossible to be best friends with everyone.  Yet, it is very possible and important to be sincere to those you see on a regular basis and to genuinely care about the people in your life.  God calls us to a real and sincere love that goes far beyond being polite.  I know that it’s not always easy to genuinely care about somebody, but that is sure better than being fake.

God, I pray that you would provide us opportunities to show sincerity.  I also pray that you would soften our hearts so that we could learn to love those around us more sincerely.