Bring out the best in others

The ability to bring out the best in others is important for two reasons. First, we usually see in people what we expect to see. Second, they generally rise to our level of expectation. Dr. John Maxwell wrote, “I’ve never known a positive person yet who didn’t love people and try to see the best in them. And one of the most effective ways to help you see the best in others is to do what I call putting a ‘10’ on people’s heads. Here’s what I mean: we all have expectations of others, but we can choose whether those expectations are positive or negative. We can think that others are worthless or wonderful. When we make the decision to expect the best and actually look for the good instead of the bad, we’re seeing them as a ‘10.’” Try to imagine how the Philippian believers felt when Paul said, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” When you have faith in someone, you give them an incredible gift, maybe the best gift you can give another person. Give them money, and they may soon have spent it. Give them resources, and they may not use them to the greatest advantage. Give them help, and within a short period of time, chances are that they’ll find themselves back where they started. But demonstrate faith in them, and they become confident, invigorated, self-reliant, and motivated to obtain the skills they need to succeed on their own. Then later if you do share money, resources, and other kinds of help, they’re better equipped to use them to build a better future.