Caring for other people is one of the easiest things you can do and one of the hardest things you can do. It's so simple that you can do it just by being in the same room as someone else without doing anything else. And it is so difficult that thousands of people at every age have simply given up doing it.
Before we ask why this conundrum exists, we must first answer the question of what. What does it mean to care about someone?
From my own experience, I've learned that before you can learn how to care for someone, you have to know how to love someone. There's platonic love which is the love reserved for friends and family. There's romantic love which is the love between a husband and wife. There's erotic love which is too steamy for an explanation. And then, there's unconditional love which is the kind of love that God shows for us.
First Corinthians 13 is an entire discourse about love. It begins by saying that no matter what accomplishments we pull off, no matter how strong our faith is, and no matter what hardships we endure, they are worthless if we do not have love. It goes on to describe the attributes of love: patience, kindness, selflessness, slow to anger, forgiving, protecting, trusting, hoping, and never giving up. Think about that. Each attribute by itself is a valuable trait for living an accomplished life. But all of them together form something so beautiful that words are inadequate to fully describe its majesty.
A description of love is all fair and good, but it's useless without anything to act on. Sure, the Bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but it doesn't really say how. So what should we do? Well, I can't speak for everyone, but here are some things I do to help other people feel loved and cared about:
1. Listen to Them
You'd be surprised how many people appreciate a random text message/phone call when you don't need something from them. Even if it's just to check up on them, it shows that you care about them enough to take time out of your day to include them and that's enough. This also helps to just give them a shoulder to cry on if they've had a bad day. Again, just knowing that there's someone out there willing to listen to them makes them feel special and cared for.
2. Do Things for Them
This is where chivalry comes into play. Helping someone with a heavy package, doing a chore for them that they don't like, making a meal they like after a tough day. Just little things like that to help ease the load and make them feel appreciated. I like getting people gifts and cards even when it's not a holiday. The gift because it's something they like and a card to convey my feelings.
3. Show Them That They Matter
Self-worth is in short supply these days. Especially with a loneliness epidemic on the rise. People need to be assured and reassured that they matter, that they're worth caring about, and don't deserve to be swept away by this cold, heartless world we call life. That's why I try to do what I can to make people feel cared about, even if I don't know them. Because no one deserves to feel worthless.
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