Philippians 2:4

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

I can't say that I have ever lived with forty three other people prior to my time here in Guatemala. Back at home, I lived with one roommate in a house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. She worked a full time job and spent a lot of time at her boyfriends house.  Needless to say, there were not many times I had to look out for someone else's interests. Now that I am here, there are forty two other people to think about. And according to Philippians 2:3, I should, "count them more significant," than myself.
This is a tough one. Can I get an amen? No wonder we hear so much as children that we should listen to Leviticus 19 and, "love your neighbor as yourself." This just isn't a part of our flesh. It reminds me a lot of being in a relationship. How easy it is to let them pick the movie when you first start dating! Six months into it you might be a little sick of the blood and guts or cheesy romcom lines on a Friday night, but you still stick it out. But a year into it? You guessed it. You are in full on complain mode if you have to sit through one more Marvel movie or Nicolas Sparks flick. It is quite interesting when you realize that the simple thing of picking out a movie can bring out your selfishness in a snap. What does this mean for the bigger things?
Two months from now, IGNITE Class 7 will be in their field locations. We all need to make the conscious decision to take this verse to heart. Even more importantly, we need to take this lesson with us when we are finished with IGNITE. We won't have each other to keep us accountable 24/7.  We need to remember that Jesus didn't have a bed to go back to at night. Jesus didn't have the luxury of alone time. Jesus didn't have indoor plumbing or a chef to cook all his favorite meals. Jesus looked out for the interests of others. We can show other's the love of Christ if we choose to do the same.