Just recently, I said to someone, “I expect high-quality service at a store. If they won’t give me that service, they will lose my business!” We had been discussing an incident in which a sales clerk was rude to a customer.
Tonight, I am ashamed of myself. Here is the quote that woke me up to how selfish I have become:
“Focus on being a servant. Ask yourself, ‘How can I serve in any situation, whether it be . . .
Randy Alcorn
with a taxi driver, flight attendant, waitress, etc. Think of what you can do for that person. It’s not about you; it’s about the Lord. This gets your mind off yourself and onto another person. The greatest danger of notoriety is you start thinking about you. People then exist to serve you. This is exactly the opposite of the servant mentality. Jesus came to serve, not to be served.”
Why, it has never occurred to me to be the servant of the person serving me! I have thought of smiling at them, saying “thank you”, and asking how they were doing, but serving them?!
At a women’s conference a few years ago, the keynote speaker told of a time when her grocery store cashier was tired and grumpy. She asked him if he was okay, and that simple gesture of kindness resulted in him looking at her with tears in his eyes as he told her of his troubles. She was able to encourage him out of her servant’s heart.
I’m not sure exactly how to go about being a servant to those serving us, but we could start by keeping our eyes more widely open. Maybe with our widened eyes, we will see the opportunities. Perhaps we also need to pray and ask God to show us ways to help others.
I am sure God will be delighted to have us helping Him out.
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