Simply Serving – Part 3

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Galatians 6:3

In his book ‘Swim With the Sharks’, leadership expert Harvey Mackay writes about Philip Pillsbury of the famous Pillsbury milling family: ‘ The tips of three of his fingers were missing…the unmistakable mark of a journeyman grain miller, albeit a somewhat less-than-dexterous one. Philip Pillsbury had an international reputation as a connoisseur of fine foods…but to the troops his reputation as a man willing to do a hard, dirty job was the one that mattered…And you can be sure everyone was aware of it.’ Following in the footsteps of Jesus calls for being service-oriented, not self-absorbed. Often the reason we don’t volunteer is because we think we can’t do it as well as somebody else. We’ve made the mistake of making excellence an idol by buying into the philosophy, ‘If I can’t do it right, I won’t do it at all’. The fact is, less-than-perfect service is better than the best of intentions. If you’re not willing to do it imperfectly in the beginning, you’ll never get out of the starting gate. Almost everything we do is done poorly at first. That’s how we learn. God’s plan has always been to involve as many folks as possible, not have everything run by a few experts. The best of people make mistakes; it’s how you gain knowledge and develop character. The Bible says, ‘If you think you are too important to help…you are only fooling yourself.’ Sometimes you’re called to serve upward to those in authority; other times you’re called to serve downward to those in need. Either way, you’re serving God only when you’re willing to do what’s required.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me involve others in serving others so that they too can understand Your heart and nature. In Jesus’ Name, Amen