Tomorrow is Election Day, and next week is Veterans Day. It’s always a time of year when we think carefully about our public servants, and celebrate their sacrifices. This week I was reminded of a quote by Dr. David Livingstone (a Scottish medical missionary to Africa in the 19th century). I pray that The Spirit and The Word will adjust my thinking to match more closely this sentiment:
“Forbid that we should ever consider the holding of a commission from the King of kings a sacrifice, so long as other men esteem the service of an earthly government as an honor.”
Philipians 2:5-8
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
We glorify God by serving others
Serving in and of itself is easy. I do this daily at work. You just get in there and do what needs to be done.
Oh...
“What needs to be done.”
How is that defined?
Well, there are the surface issues, which are easy to identify, and that’s a good place to start. I can handle that. But then there are the real needs. The things that are below the surface. The things that are causing the pain, the failure, the suffering. How do you find these things? In reality, you’re not providing any service of value unless you address the real issues. As my Sunday School teacher in Washington used to say, “Anything else is using an aspirin to treat a brain tumor.” (To which I would always think, “It might take care of the headache, but you’re still going to die!”)
So how do we get past the surface to the real issues?
We need to love. We need to take the time to get to know the person. We need to build a relationship where the issues can be brought to the surface and dealt with. In short, we need to do the very thing that I can not do.
Oh...
“What needs to be done.”
How is that defined?
Well, there are the surface issues, which are easy to identify, and that’s a good place to start. I can handle that. But then there are the real needs. The things that are below the surface. The things that are causing the pain, the failure, the suffering. How do you find these things? In reality, you’re not providing any service of value unless you address the real issues. As my Sunday School teacher in Washington used to say, “Anything else is using an aspirin to treat a brain tumor.” (To which I would always think, “It might take care of the headache, but you’re still going to die!”)
So how do we get past the surface to the real issues?
We need to love. We need to take the time to get to know the person. We need to build a relationship where the issues can be brought to the surface and dealt with. In short, we need to do the very thing that I can not do.
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