On the one hand, you cannot blame the man who says that he is going to look out for himself. He has a busy life. A full plate. And only so many hours in the day. Moreover, the Bible does not forbid, but actually requires that a man look to his own needs so there is no problem there. The problem is taking the Biblical truth that every man should shoulder his own load (Gal. 6:5) and falsely deducing from that standard that you only have to worry about your own pack. Philippians 2:4 says that we are not only to look to our own needs, but also the needs of others.

The command is not simply to meet the needs of others as they arise. The command is to pay attention to the needs of others. It is far too easy to develop tunnel vision, particularly when things get busy. I saw Jeff with that flat on the side of the road, I saw him in the snow without a car jack, but it was Black Friday and everything was 30% off. If we’re honest, we don’t need the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We can be inconsiderate of the people around us when the pace is normal.

Looking to the needs of others requires energy. It requires an enlarged heart. And God supplies both of these requirements in his Son. We have entered into the Advent season so we are reminded that Christ came. Christ paid attention. He saw our need. Even being equal with God, he took upon himself the form of a servant in order to deliver us from our trouble. Trust him and look to the needs of others, knowing that from his fullness we receive grace upon grace.