Wise People Consider Other People’s Feelings

[Wise People Consider Other People’s Feelings]( Current Teaching Series [You Make Me Crazy]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Wise People Consider Other People’s Feelings]( By Rick Warren — 05/13/2021 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 (NIV) Do you know two of the biggest mistakes people make in relationships? One, they react to what someone says without considering how that person feels. Two, they invalidate someone’s feelings because they don’t feel that way themselves. The antidote for both of these is the same: Simply be considerate. Let’s take a closer look at each of these mistakes and what you can do instead. Mistake #1: Reacting without trying to understand.People often pay too much attention to someone’s words and not enough attention to the emotions behind the words. When a person is angry, they often say things they don’t mean. They exaggerate and use words they didn’t intend to use. Instead of just listening to the words, look for the emotions behind the words. People don’t always say what they mean—but they always feel what they feel. If you’re wise in relationships, you’ll be considerate of feelings. Don’t just focus on what your kid, spouse, neighbor, or boss says—words that may trigger your anger. Instead, be mindful of what those people may be feeling. When people are rude and unkind, they are screaming to the world, “I’m in pain!” Hurt people always hurt people. And it’s actually the unkind people who need your kindness the most. Mistake #2: Invalidating any feelings that you don’t feel yourself.When you don’t feel the same emotion someone else feels, you may dismiss their feelings altogether. Let me ask you this: Can one person be cold and another be warm while being in the same room at the same time? Yes. So why try to argue people out of what they feel? When you dismiss someone’s feelings, you minimize the other person. Someone may say to you, “I feel stupid.” Don’t just dismiss it by saying, “You’re not stupid.” Instead, say, “Why do you feel that way? What makes you say that?” You need to look beyond the words and get to the real issue. Feelings are neither right nor wrong. They’re just there. No one has to defend their feelings. They just need you to say, “I hear you.” The Bible says, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV). With heaven’s wisdom, you can stop ignoring and invalidating other people’s feelings. You can let your friend feel tired and not try to talk her out of it. You can let your spouse feel sad and not try to talk him out of it. Wise people are considerate of other people’s feelings. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What effect do you see in people when you show kindness to them when they are hurting? - What habits do you need to change or adopt to become more considerate of other people’s feelings and not just their words? - How important is listening when it comes to understanding people’s feelings? The post [Wise People Consider Other People’s Feelings]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get the You Make Me Crazy Study Kit when you give a gift to support Daily Hope]( You probably have a relationship that could drive you crazy if you let it! Whether it’s a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, sibling, parent, or co-worker, a "crazymaker" can really make life difficult. Discover how you can do more than just survive, and actually thrive in these hard relationships with Pastor Rick’s, You Make Me Crazy study kit. This six-session DVD and workbook study shares biblical wisdom to help you navigate the kinds of relationships that drag you down and leave you feeling drained. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series You Make Me Crazy. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Six Keys to Peace in Relationships Message 2: Who's Pushing Your Buttons? Message 3: Resolving Conflict Message 4: Finding the Love of Your Life Message 5: Breaking Free from Abuse Message 6: Escaping the People Pleaser Trap Message 7: Keeping the Crazymakers from Making You Crazy Message 8: How to Keep Your Marriage Growing [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States