Considering Others Before Self
Philippians 2:4
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.


A German countryman went one day with his four sons to the neighbouring town to transact some business. While there, in the market place, he bought five peaches. One of these he kept for his wife, who was at home, and the others he gave to his boys. When they were sitting round the fire the next evening, he thought he would ask each of his sons what he had done with his peach. The eldest said he had eaten his, but had kept the stone to plant in the garden, in hopes that it would grow up and bear some peaches as good as the one he had so much enjoyed. The youngest boy confessed he had eaten his own peach and thrown the stone away, and after his return home had helped his mother to eat half of her peach! The second eldest boy told how he had picked up the stone which his little brother had thrown away, and cracked it, and eaten the kernel. "It was nice and sweet," he added, "and I sold my own peach for so much money that I have enough to buy several peaches now with what I got for it." The third son then had to tell his tale. The others had told all theirs out at once with no hesitation and no shame, but this little lad blushed as he began his story: "I took my peach to a poor little friend who has been in bed for so long, and suffers so much pain. He refused to take it from me, so I put it on his bed and ran away." His mother's kisses, as she heard these words, were far sweeter on his young lips than any fruit.

(T. T. Shore.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

WEB: each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.




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