BE CONSIDERATE TO ANOTHER

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


We live in an increasingly selfish world, where everyone wants to live for himself only. When a consensus does not favour us, we may tend to become opposed to it, when we realise that someone is better, we may become envious - there is little or no sacrifice on our part in other to accommodate other people's diversity or difference - this is mostly the bane of our society today.


You cannot live in this world all by yourself, and you cannot be a happy person if all that motivates your pursuit in life is envy and jealousy. Sometimes we tend not to just be happy for the next person, we look for faults and somehow try to be brutal in our assessment of them. This is not the kingdom system Jesus has called us unto, we are to look out for one another, forgive one another's inadequacy and let love rule in all.


If everything is done the way you want it, maybe you should start planning your own planet where you will be the creator-general. If we don't begin to take into consideration the plight and emotional trauma of some people, we will never become children of the Most-High. We are sometimes over ambitious in our aims, that we do not regard the feelings of others, what if we have successful business, yet we have unhappy people - the world will be chaotic.


If your vacation is more important than visitation to someone in distress, if you have an unnecessary overestimation of yourself ahead of others, you will not be a considerate person. The idea that we are the light of the world is essentially because we consider those who could be in darkness at certain times and we could be there and help one another. People were on this earth before you came and there would still be people after you leave, why are you thinking that you have 'your world'. You think this life is just for you and your immediate family alone? How wrong you are and how dangerously you are walking.


TOO BUSY?
"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side." - Luke 10:31-32


The above text is about the good Samaritan, we see this particular story play out day in, day out in the world today and most times than never, we play the priest and Levite and we pass by the other way, we don't just pass by, we take pictures and have a good detail of what happened, yet we pass on the other way.


Many of us today will even blame the person who fell victim and decide to take our lessons, some may sympathise but only few will offer to help, we must be good Samaritans, we must learn to go beyond the lip service and begin to help people who are in distress - stop making people a profile of experience. No one is asking for a story, it doesn't change anybody except you have lent a helping hand.


If we don't stop to consider those in distress, if we don't stop doing hypocritical thanksgiving in church of how we were not victims of that accident, if we can only stop boasting of our infallibility status, but help people genuinely as God would have us do - this is how God intends it.


"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbour, 'Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,' when you have it with you." - Prov 3:27-28


Just before you start complaining of how broke you are, I am sure it has not gotten to the point where you cannot show moral support, I am sure it has not gotten to a point where you cannot place a call through to someone, you can talk to people on behalf of that brother who needs a connection to get ahead, it doesn't always have to be cash. There is always something you can do for everyone at certain times - yes even if it is prayers.


We must become considerate to the feelings of people, it could even be your pregnant wife, you may decide to be brutal in your demands not taking into consideration of her health. It may be the tone of your voice, it could demoralise a person - you shouldn't just walk pass that other person without a smile, it is definitely not expensive to do all these - you only have to have people in mind.


If your neighbour isn't safe, you may not be save also, we must begin to help as much as we can and do all that we are privilege to do also, no need is too insignificant, don't be self-centered in demanding from workers, they may be going through a lot to resume duty. Try and be considerate in your demands, and do not be too hesitant in rendering assistance.


LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOUR
"This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'" - Matt 22:38-39


I have heard different interpretation of the above verse and honestly it has been converted into for selfish reasons, some say; you have to love yourself first, then before you consider your neighbour, others have said they see the scripture as not to love your neighbour more than yourself...one person has told me that you have to please yourself, then consider the neighbour...but all these are false and it is heartbreaking that it is. I believe the verse talks about loving someone as if you are loving yourself. Finding fulfilment in someone's happiness as if it was you - that is my own interpretation (I think I have a right to my opinion).


The prove that we know God is demonstrated and evidenced in our neighbour, one of the reasons we love God is so that our neighbours can feel secured around us. Why I will not want to love my neighbour as myself, is only because I have not really known God. Your love to the other fellow is the second greatest commandment, not the third...even your love to yourself does not appear in the commandments!


I am not saying that we should go about having low self esteem or thinking less of ourselves, as loving God is a moral booster in itself and we know our true worth when we love God. This also does not give us an oversized ego, because loving God will make us go ahead to do the second most important of all commandments. Would you then, start loving people genuinely and be happy for their happiness - that's the idea.


"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." - Matt 7:12


Even if you don't want to love, try and 'law' your neighbour - you have to start taking care of people as you want to be taken care of...it appears to me as a law of sowing and reaping, the way you value people is the way you will truly be valued. I am not talking about pretence here, where people will pretend to treat you because of what you have, but true value is a dividend of how we have valued people.


This world is not for you alone, all your exploits and all your striving will make no meaning when men are not there to celebrate you. It is so that men will smile that is why we should strive, not so that they be sad. Begin to consider men when you have an ambition also. These corrupt individuals who milk the country dry and expect the same sad people to praise their wealth, really need to get checked, they have done nothing at all. They have violated us and the law.


The golden rule is a scriptural phrase, that we the Christians must begin to cherish, the golden rule is the sum of the prophet and the law. The golden rule is what keeps us in line and help us to do right unto people. When you are sad, how do you want to be treated? Why not treat that grieving soul that way...it is the golden rule indeed.


LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE
"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." - 1John 3:16


Just before you think I am sending you on a suicide mission, let me quickly clarify that your life cannot purchase any life, it cannot save any body from eternal damnation, even if it saves the person from dying here. What then would the above scripture be implying, it is a matter of sacrifice for one another.


Some people are willing to help if only it doesn't affect their budget, some people are willing to accommodate you, if only it will not inconvenience them, some people only want to give out of their spare and not really out of what they have planned for - but let it be clear that any love without sacrifice may just be a normal act and it may not please God.


We cannot be all hypocritical about helping when it is not sacrificial, I may not be able to genuinely contextualise 'sacrifice' to you, but please you have a conscience, and evaluate properly in the light of this word. If it doesn't make you go out of your way like the Samaritan, you have not become the good Samaritan then. Our consideration must involve sacrifice.


"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do same?" - Matt 5:46


Consideration should also extend to those who may not deserve it, it is a life of sacrifice that will really bring those afar closer to God. We just cannot say because it is a sowing matter, then we sow good consideration to our brethren only, then, we will not be different from the unbelievers. You must have a large heart to consider the Muslims, the heathens and even the atheist as long as it is not in conflict with the scriptures.


The Christian's good act is not limited to circumstances or racial bias as some would play their lives, the Christian's good works is all embracing and should be able to accommodate as many as possible, because even love is not selective, love shown to the believer will most probably have a good effect on an unbeliever too, so be considerate without partiality.


It may not be easy, but that is when we need to know that it is a sacrifice, and when sacrifice becomes part of us - fulfillment become gain to us; we must as a matter of fact, lay down our lives for one another. Our death cannot redeem anyone, but our sacrifice while living, can help bring people closer.


CONCLUSION:
You are not living alone in this world, don't be too busy not to recognise your neighbour, love the neighbour sincerely and never forget that it involves sacrifice.


God bless you and I love you.
Akinsuroju Femi
© The Fundamentals