Be Considerate

Philippians 2:4 – Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.

One of the first things that parents teach their children is the notion of sharing. The ability to share helps a child to build friendships with other children. It can help them to negotiate and interact in a positive way and teaches them about fairness and the art of compromise.

As we get older, sharing becomes less of a chore and more of a pleasure as we appreciate the joy that comes with a little bit of thoughtfulness. There is also a joy that comes when we work as one within the Church. We can all have personal ideas of how things should be done and what would best benefit us individually, but we are not called to be self-serving Christians. Selfishness has no place in the Church and it is the complete opposite of the life that Jesus led and the example that he left us.

This does not mean that we ignore our own needs completely. Jesus ensured that his physical needs were taken care of and he always took time out every day to spend with the Father. This verse doesn’t say that we are not to look out for ourselves but that we should look not only to our own interests. This is the balance between taking care of ourselves and being mindful of the needs of others.

The thoughtfulness that you show has the ability to propagate from person to person and so, your one small act of consideration really can go a long way.