#RyanTalks - The Importance of being Important

'To be Important you will be there when you need to be there'
In a recent interview with the BBC, Jose Mourinho, manager of Chelsea said this about Didier Drogba.
After pondering on the statement I struggled to actually comprehend on what he meant but yesterday I came across a passage which states it clearly. It's a statement that can be interpreted in different forms but when you look at it, it's all about being useful. At first thought, I initially thought that because you are available, you will be there. So I looked at it this way - You can be available but not useful, You can be useful but not available, You are useful and you are available. You can look at it like that but that's like saying, you aren't what I need but you I will use you because you are there. 

No, to be there means no matter the situation or wherever you are, you will find a way to be there. So, lets look at the following passage and consider what it means. I'm sure recently you have asked people things and they have delivered, they are important and you are important to them. There might even be a time when you have asked them but they can't deliver, which can indicate how important you are to them. Different People but everyone is important. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

One Body but Many Parts

12 There is one body. But it has many parts. Even though it has many parts, they make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink.

14 The body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. 15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” It is still part of the body. 16 And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” It is still part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18 God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body?20 As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.

21 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23 The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. 24 The parts that can be shown don’t need special care.

But God has joined together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. 25 In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.

27 You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.

So, now lets think of this in a logical sense. There's many parts to your life i.e. Work, Social, Personal, Private. There will be people who exist in your life who play an important part in your life. When you need them, they will be there in whatever shape or form they can be there. Let's consider this - A Plug and Laptop are both pieces of technology but they have different functions, The Laptop will need the Plug to give it power so it can't say that it doesn't need it when it does. 

So often in life, people claim that are they not important. There will be a time when somebody will need you and you will need to be there. You are useful to them, you are not just a spare part. God never designed you to be just a spare part, he designed you for a specific role because he knows fully well that you will meet that commitment. 

You might not be required all the time but the fact you are there will make people see you are of great importance to them. So, I would say to honor commitment when asked something, they will need to rely on you but if you can't deliver then your importance now goes down a scale. 

It's just like a work place, you are all part of the workforce but you have many parts to play. They are all important roles to fill so of course, you will be there because you are viewed as important. So, the cleaner can't say they are not important because they don't have a big role to fill. In fact, the cleaner is an integral part, they help to keep the place clean. 

Be there when you need to be there. You are important to someone's life but how do you show someone they are important to you? It might be a small gesture or a big gesture, it all adds up to something worthwhile. 

1 - Tell them

There's nothing like hearing these words 'You are important to me'. It boosts people's confidence, it fills them with joy. When they hear that, you will see a huge difference in them. 

2 - Be in their presence

Spend time with them. Whenever you are in their presence, no matter how big or small the time is give them your full commitment. It's your special time together, there should be no distractions

3 - Show them

Showing them how much they mean to you will no doubt put a smile on their face. So, it could mean you take them out or buy them something or even do something spontaneous such as a walk in the park. Let them know that you are there

4 - Honor your Commitment

Whatever the relationship is, Mother and Daughter, Father and Son, Friends, Cousins etc, always honor your commitment, if it's not possible tell them before hand but still find a way to meet your commitment. There's nothing like committing yourself and not meeting their needs, even though you can be forgiven they won't forget. 

5 - Be Understanding

Being understanding is the most crucial one because there will be times they could be having a rough patch or they might actually need help so be understanding to the situation. Don't judge, all you need to be is understanding. 

6 - Always be in Communication

In the morning, it should be a regular point of call to see how they are. So you could say something like 'Morning, It's great to hear from you, I've missed you' or even something simple as 'How are you, How's things with you'. It shows that you care, it shows you are thinking of them. 

7 - Be ready to listen

Always be ready to listen. There's nothing worse than talking to someone and they are doing something else or there mind is elsewhere. I always try and go to a quiet place so I can give my time and really listen to them. 

8 - Be at their Side at all times

When someones knows you are at their side, they know to that they can call on you and you will be there to hold them when they need to be held. They know that when they need a friendly ear, you are there or whenever they need something to be done, you are there. 

Try these things, it will help you maintain your importance. So, starting from today, start telling people how much they matter to you, it could be by text, whatsapp or even on the phone. 

The Importance of being Important

'To be Important you will be there when you need to be there'