Are we all called to serve? Perhaps we need to look at the word serve to begin with.
Dictionary.com says it means, “To act as a servant, to be of use.” Some synonyms – “deliver, give, provide, assist, attend to, be assistance of, care for, minister to, wait on, work for.” Adding one from the Oxford Dictionary – “devote (part of one’s life efforts to.)”
So what do you think? Are we all called to serve? Yes or no? Looks like a huge YES to me. Let’s see where it’s obvious:
- Parenting – serving your children, teaching, nurturing, providing. Especially when they’re little and can’t fend for themselves. If you can’t do this, don’t have kids right?
- Being a child – serving your parents, siblings and family. There’s always a chore to help with, love, respect and support to be given – at any age. Serving when a parent ages is an entire added honor and challenge at times.
- True friendship always has moments of serving one another. Being there when your friend needs support, comfort, encouragement and love when life knocks hard.
- Church or non-profit organizations. We know there’s always a place to serve and give time or resources here.
- Your Country. Mmmm . . . this get’s tricky depending on your political persuasion and who governs. Yet, irrespective of the Who’s-in-charge, it’s still your home to take care of for your next generations. Can you serve in spite-of, in some way or another?
- Your workplace. Sometimes it’s a no-brainer to serve at work – serve your customers, because without them you may not have a business or a job.
- What about serving as a leader? Do you bully or demand? Do you show respect and value your team?
- Serving as an employee: do you give the least you can because you don’t feel valued, appreciated and don’t earn enough? Do you complain and gossip about the wrongs of the organization because you think you know and deserve better? Who serves and gives, under these circumstances! It’s so easy to slip into a “forget that” attitude.
What difference does an attitude to serve make?
When you wake up each day, one thing you know is that you have this one day. No one is assured of tomorrow. So it has to be a good day. No matter what you commit yourself to do, you need to find a way to make it marvelous! At the least you can be productive and find some benefit in the tough moments. This is a whole other discussion on how to do this.
Having an attitude to serve makes a world of difference:
- YOU live your day with joy or a measure of accomplishment.
- YOU feed your self-worth because you choose to make your day/life matter to YOU. It dissolves the drain of demands on you, your time and your being.
- YOUR confidence stays in tact as you choose to control your attitude.
- YOU benefit from the law of when you give you receive.
It is a no-brainer to me, yet some days it’s so hard to do. Seems so silly that one can get so bent out of shape with the need to be first. The best. Me. Me. Me. I think we simply forget to live each day with gusto and joy! To be of use. To care for. To devote to!
Are you serving in your call?
“Whoever becomes great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Mark 10:43, 44 (NIV)
