The Essence of Servanthood

The story of the Lawrenson family has hit me hard today. (For more about them, see the post below, Faith in Action.) Being almost 34 weeks along our own little blessing, I can't imagine what it must be like to have to watch our baby, covered in plastic tubing and casings, and not even be able to touch him or her with my own hands.

So much of our lives we spend focused on things, even those who are not materialistic about their stuff. But think about how much of our time and effort we spend thinking about hanging out with our friends, going to school or work, cleaning our homes and apartments, busing our children from one activity to another, all those little chores that fill each day. And to a certain extent, we need to do those things. Maybe we do too many of them, or maybe we let them consume our thoughts but that doesn't mean that they don't need to get done. But do we take the same care in planning time for the other things the Lord would have us be about?

Now if you are a wife and a mother, for example, part of what God would have doing is caring for your family; making meals, cleaning, loving, disciplining, etc...But do you take the time to spend caring for the Lord? Do you reach out to those God places in your way? Do you, even in the middle of your busy life or in your hour of pain and need, take the time to minister to those who are also hurting around you? I know I have a hard time with that. When I am in pain or things are particularly rough, my first thought is taking my own needs to the Lord. And I should. But sometimes I forget that if I will focus on others, my pain will lessen and I will be better off for having helped someone else instead of wallowing in my despair.

That is the essence of servanthood, to which we are all called. A servant isn't asked if this is a convenient time to serve, he is given a job to do and told to complete it. By focusing on myself, I open wide the door to self pity and I become useless to the Lord. If I will stay focused on Jesus and the work He has for me to do each day, I will be joyful in the knowledge that I am a useful servant in the Hands of God.