How To Grow UpSample

Read the room. 

So, we’ve covered setting our goals and minding our mouths. Today, we’ll learn the third way we can start growing up—reading the room. 

Have you ever walked into a room with super high energy—maybe you were singing, laughing, or making jokes—and then realized everyone else was actually really sad or confused or not in the mood for your hilarity? Or maybe you’ve stumbled upon a conversation, and you barge in without knowing what the people have been talking about. It feels awkward, right? 

That’s why it’s important to read the room before you come in too hot. What do we mean? Well, reading the room means taking time to notice how others around you are feeling. It means taking the focus off yourself and your feelings and putting other people’s feelings first. 

When we take time to read the room, we take time to see how other people are acting. It helps us enter conversations maturely—instead of interrupting or hogging attention.

Reading the room also means noticing when people are upset and reacting in an appropriate way. And that’s where a little thing called empathy comes in. When we ask other people how they’re doing, we need to show empathy. It’s very different from sympathy because it requires a lot more maturity. Let’s check out what empathy means in this video. 

So remember, empathy isn’t about having all the right words to say. Empathy is sitting with someone and taking time to be there for them. And when you do that, you’re reading the room, which means you’re growing your maturity muscle. Why does this matter? Well, the Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice—to be happy with those who are happy—and to mourn with those who mourn—to be sad with those who are sad. 

When we do that, we’re living out the Golden Rule—treating other people the way we would want to be treated. Think of how you want people to act when you’re upset, and do that for other people. That’s empathy. God has a ton of empathy for us, and He helps us have empathy for others. 

So, today, start thinking of ways you can read the room better. Maybe it’s asking your family or friends how their day was before talking about yours. Maybe it’s being there for a friend who’s hurting. Think of ways you can have empathy and put it in action.