Are you sensitive? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Too many people have lost whatever ability they had to be sensitive to the feelings of other people. Many will give to help victims of a tragedy, which is good, but is that as far as it goes? It seems nearly everyone is living for themselves. In his letter to the Ephesians, and elsewhere, Paul stresses the need for the committed follower of Christ to be sensitive to the feelings and needs of fellow believers. Galatians 6:10, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are of the household of faith”.

Today in Ephesians we read, “Put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth to his neighbours for we are members one of another” (4:25). Challenging isn’t it to be described as “members one of another”! It is because committed believers have become, in God’s eyes, one spiritual family unit!

We came across this word ‘sensitivity’ when reading the NIV which translates Paul as writing that they “must no longer live as the Gentiles (non-Christians) do, in the futility of their thinking … having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with continual lust for more” (verses 17,19). The ESV translates “they have become callous” – and that is what the world today has become as it has become less and less Christian.

The true believer is the very opposite! “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth”, writes Paul, “but only such as is good … that it may give grace to those who hear” (verse 29). This fits with today’s Proverbs reading, “The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious … gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” (16:23,24). This is the best possible advice in this insensitive world.