Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. {4} Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV)

How often do we do things without considering what effect this action would have on other people? One summer Saturday, you get up early with many plans for the day. The first thing on your agenda is getting the lawn mowed before it get too hot. And so, what do you do? You get out there and crank up that old lawn mower and start mowing the lawn. Your neighbor has one day that he can sleep in and regain some vigor for the coming week. But, your big noisy gas powered mower puts an end to that.

You are sleeping, its about six in the morning, and the telephone rings. You think, "This had better be an emergency," but it’s not. Someone on the other end wants to know about aunt Emma, to borrow your mower, to find out if your going fishing next week, or any number of other rather unimportant things.

Personally, I try not to call anyone before 8:30 or 9:00. That is called courtesy.

Your family has just arrived home from a long trip. The car comes to a stop and everyone piles out and heads toward the bathroom. If you’re lucky you have two baths, but there are three kids, a wife and a husband. By the time you get into the house, both bathrooms are occupied. Two members of the family are able to comfort themselves while the rest dance around waiting. Need I say that this is not the time to brush your hair, squeeze a pimple, shave, or anything else except to take care of the immediate need so that someone else can get into the bathroom quickly.

We have a bath and three quarters. That is a full bath upstairs and a little room down stairs with a shower, toilet, and sink. Often a member of the family would like to soak in the tub. It is courteous to ask if anyone needs to use the euphemism before they go to spend time soaking in the tub. This is called being considerate.

These things only make sense and yet, we often start doing things without thinking about the other person. The Lord teaches us to consider other people and their needs before our own. Suppose you and every member of your family always thought about the others first, what would your home life be like?