Servant or Son
Sons of God know how to serve well, but servants of God struggle to live like sons…
The other day, I had a conversation with a couple that have been doing disaster relief for over 20 years. They expressed how impressed they were with the Bethel Church community here in Redding, CA – and went so far as to say it was now the new standard for what a local church can do in a community that is going through a disaster. Through a series of conversations I could see that people wanted to get information on how and what they did to be so successful. I found myself struggling to answer their questions, because it wasn’t just a fantastic organization, great facility and hundreds of volunteers that made it so special. It was a culture…let me try to explain.
When crises arise, you may attract a bunch of servant-minded people who thrive on finding some way to help. It’s a beautiful and much needed gift that these people carry, but it has a dangerous side to it. Servant- minded people tend to see the people working with them as another servant. Unfortunately, they potentially treat that person like they would any other tool on the job. They exist to help and get the work done. The workers end up using each other up – all in the name of service.
I believe the healthy way to do this, and what is being modeled throughout our community, is a group of people who see themselves as Sons and Daughters of the King of Kings and live with the reality that they are stewards/caretakers of all that is on earth – especially the people around them. This one shift in how you view your identity results in an entirely different outcome. A family working together to help a neighbor is a beautiful sight. A group of people that only sees themselves as servants often miss out on this joy!
How do you see yourself? Servant or Son/Daughter?