I think it’s time we revisited servanthood

While rereading a great book “Cure for the Common Life” by Max Lucado, I stumbled on a line of instruction that stopped me, and bothered me.

“As you celebrate your unique design, be careful. Don’t so focus on what you love to do that you neglect what needs to be done.”

Lucado’s warning that while we are finding our sweet spot, the world still needs servants. “a 3:00 am diaper change fits in very few sweet spots.” Sweeping and cleaning out the garage rarely sounds like fun and excitement. Visiting your sick neighbor might not come naturally to you but the sick still need to be encouraged or fed and the diapers still need changing and garage still needs sweeping. “The world needs servants. “

Perhaps in this day of self expression, selfies, blogging, tweeting and all the other social media which is quickly turning into cyber bullying; maybe it’s time we refocus, re-adjust take a long hard look at servanthood.   Perhaps we have been so focused on our self expression that we have forgotten to do what needs to be done? Why does it take a national disaster to “ban together” to do what needs to be done? Like looking out for your neighbor? Helping with the yard work? Taking a meal to someone? Sending a note or tweet of encouragement? Being kind?

Again to quote Lucado:

“Servants resist stubbornness.” Ulrich Zwingli manifested such a spirit. He promoted unity during Europe’s great Reformation. At one point he found himself at odds with Martin Luther. Zwingli did not know what to do. He found his answer one morning on the side of a Swiss mountain. He watched two goats traversing a narrow path from opposite directions, one ascending, and the other descending. At one point the narrow trail prevented them from passing each other. When they saw each other, they backed up and lowered their heads, as though ready to lunge. But then a wonderful thing happened. The ascending goat lay down on the path. The other stepped over his back. The first animal then arose and continued his climb to the top. Zwingli observed that the goat made it higher because he was willing to bend lower.”1

Wow. I think it’s time we revisited servanthood.   It requires no special education or degree, no unique skill. What would our relationships look like, feel like if we were to serve? Lucado goes onto say that “every day do something that you don’t won’t to do. Like picking up someone’s else trash. Surrender your parking place. Call the long-winded relative. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Helen Keller once told the Tennessee legislature that when she was young, she had longed to do great things and could not, so she decided to do small things in a great way.”

“Don’t be too big to do something small.”

The beautiful thing…you can start right now. You don’t need to purchase anything, read a book, or follow a 1-2-3 step guide. Do what needs to be done. Serve…try it you might like it. : )