Are You Serving for the Credit or to Meet the Need?
I find it interesting that quite often receiving the credit for a given task is the primary driver for taking the action. It is easiest to see in secular settings such as work but have you ever considered it from a spiritual standpoint?
Take for instance serving at church. As someone who teaches and assists in some format each Sunday I’ve found that the roles with the most visibility are the easiest to fill where the ones that are completed in the shadows are difficult to recruit for. Take for instance serving in children’s ministry and how there always is a gap between support needed and volunteers available.
In many instances these opportunities occur during worship and depending on the logistical layout of the church could be in separate buildings from the main service. Children’s ministry can be loud, messy and thankless. Yet after years of service I’m convinced that it is the greatest opportunity to serve the Kingdom week in and week out.
The level of innocence and authenticity I’ve experienced in leading Children’s ministry is often rare in adult settings. Kids aren’t worried about looking silly or crossing boundaries – they simply bring their inquisitiveness to the table and there is true beauty in that.
Perhaps an appropriate challenge to consider is when it comes to serving are you more concerned about getting the credit or fulfilling the need. As John the Baptist tells us, the moment we make it less about us is generally the moment that God is glorified the best.
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