Why Should I Put Myself Out For Others?

" Whose interests come first in your life?" An Awake! reporter posed this question to a group of youths on a crowded street. "My own," said Mike. "I look out for 'number one' first, last and always. "Seventeen-year-old Susie said: "If it came down to either my family's welfare or mine, mine would take first place."

Sad to say, such sentiments are common. A book called The Postponed Generation tells of a study of 1,125 students in which two sociologists tried to find out whether young people were primarily concerned about themselves or about society. The Results? About 80 percent proved to be "looking out for themselves, without sensitivity or obligation to society."

Little wonder, then, that few are willing to put themselves out for others, to be inconvenienced or to go out of their way for someone other than themselves. Books such as The Art Of Selfishness and Looking Out For Number One become best-sellers, serving as little more than blueprints for the development of self-centered behavior. As the Bible prophesied, people today are "lovers of themselves." - 2 Timothy 3:1, 2.

How, though, do you respond to the needs of others? If, for example, you're ready to settle down and watch your favorite television program and Mom or Dad asks you to go to the store, do you become angry or resentful? Do you balk at the idea of doing chores around the home, sharing clothing or living space with a brother or sister, or simply doing someone a favor when it is inconvenient? Then it is time for you to make some changes. But why? and more important, how?