"I pass through deep waters emotionally. Suddenly in the midst of my trouble God breaks through. A new insight turns my darkness to day, my groaning to joy. In the fellowship meeting I share what has happened with my brothers and sisters who praise God with me for it. But Bill seizes the opportunity to tell everybody about how God has met his need during the week. I feel it would be improper not to let him have his say, but I feel restless as the interest of the group turns from me to Bill. To cover my restlessness I join the chorus of thanksgiving for what God has done for Bill. But my heart is not in the matter. My problems and blessings seem vastly more important than Bill's. The fellowship meeting has suddenly gone flat.
Why is it so hard for me to be interested in Bill's joys and sorrows? Can it be that I am looking to my fellow Christians for something I should really look to God for? It is true that God gave me their fellowship partly for my comfort, but perhaps I am leaning on them too much. For when God is my source of joy and comfort, I find I have more ability to give to the group than I have need to receive from it.
The rule must stand: Look not every man on his own things. The moment I find the rule hard to carry out, I know that the dry sponge which is my heart is sucking too greedily for the love of those around me. It cannot be squeezed to give forth sweetness. It needs to be heavy with the love of God, yielding its refreshment to the slightest pressure from my fellow Christians. As I find my joys in Him, so my capacity to give will exceed my need to receive."
- Extract from The Fight, John White
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