Day 33: How Real Servants Act

I gotta say, this has been one of my longest weeks so far, but it's been good (minus the not wanting to wake up at 5:30). Tomorrow will be quite the adventure, though. Teaching all day (including after school band), then driving directly to Deltona MS for S&E from 5 until 9 (technically 5:10-8:40, provided they are on time. Hah). I know I'm going to need a lot of patience tomorrow (I learned that tonight, but when I stopped being annoyed and focused on the amazing weather and the smell of cut grass. . . it's funny what a change of perspective does for the mental state).

I had other things I wanted to write about, but I'm so tired that I want to get to PDL so I can get to bed.

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This chapter is all about the qualities that comprise a servant's heart. I think we all know at least one person who we think of when we hear that phrase (I know I do). There are six different qualities.

(also, I apologize in advance if I don't edit or link a lot, and if my dyslexia comes through. . .I've already typed at least three words completely backwards)

First is that real servants make themselves available to serve. Instead of filling their lives with busy-ness and only serving out of convenience, they are available to God on a moment's notice. After all, everything happens for a reason, right? So, if we aren't jumping on the opportunities to serve, we are ignoring a chance to grow.

God's minutemen. . . shouldn't all Christians be like that? I know that I'm not.

Second, servants pay attention to needs. They don't just wait for opportunities to pop up; they are also actively seeking opportunities to help others. It is a combination of sensitivity and spontanaeity. Carpe diem, right? Service isn't the last thing on our to-do list; it should be in a place of priority.

Third, they do their best with what they have. There is no excuse to wait to serve. Everyone can do something, and there's no bar of excellence for serving. Perfection is not the name of the game: involvment is. Any service is better than none. And how will you get better at something if you never actually do it? I'm excited to see the list of things that need to be done at SBC, because I know that every single person in the congregation has a place to be involved. I'm praying both that I will step up in the places I feel I should and that everyone else will also take that step of faith (I know I'll be doing things I've probably never done before) and put their name to a committment of service. What an awesome thing that will be to see.

Real servants also do every task with equal dedication. It's not about what is being done, but about how it is done. Sound familiar? Our service should be acts of WORSHIP to God. Whether we are cleaning up after a church function, making food, sending out e-mails, taking out the trash. . . all of it can be done and should be done with the same heart as the "great" things. Everyone wants to be part of the big happenings; but it does not take special people to fill in the massive amounts of little things!

Fifth, servants are faithful to their ministry. Dependable, reliable, trustworthy, committed. . . all those words work. They get stuff done, and they do it right. One thing that always gets me is that Moses never gave up on the Israelites (quite the opposite; he begged God not to destroy them). They seemed so hopelessly lost! Of course, if I look at my own life, I can defintely relate to that.

Finally, servants maintain a low profile. Service is not about making yourself look good to others ("eyeservice") because service IS NOT ABOUT YOU. The life of Joseph is a perfect example of this. I love this quote: "You have several prominent features on your body that you could live without. It is the hidden parts of your body that are indispensible. The same is true in the Body of Christ. The most significant service is often the service that is unseen." It's actually out of the Bible. We must be careful of our motives.

Point to Ponder: I serve God by serving others.
Cool beans. I can do that.

Verse to Remember: Matthew 10:42- "If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." New Living Translation
The book talked about how people want to lead, but I think also people want to serve those who are in prominent positions more often than those in "lower" positions. This is a good reminder that EVERYONE deserves service, not just the "elite".

Question to Consider: Which of the six characteristics of real servants offers the greatest challenge to me?
Probably the hardest is making myself available to serve. Although I do have a bit of an unstable schedule with being a band director (and finding out last minute about meetings and rehearsals) I know that I can get out of certain things if I start making times sacred to me (i.e. Wednesday nights, since so many church things go on then). It's not necessarily that I try to avoid things, but I need to be careful that I don't start making school an excuse when it doesn't have to be. And if that means saying no to certain things, well. . . I only get 24 hours in every day. I can still serve and worship God at school functions, but if I sign up for something at church first and then have to give it up for school . . . I just have to be careful.