The Value of
Service
January 13, 2003
Dale Carnegie once said, "No man can become rich
without himself enriching others." Carnegie lived that
philosophy, as evidenced by the 43 millionaires he had working
for him. One day a reporter asked Mr. Carnegie how he was able
to hire so many rich men.
"I didn't hire them," he said. "They became
millionaires working for me."
Curious, the reporter asked a follow-up question.
"How were you able to develop those men to the point where they
created so much wealth?"
"When you work with people it's a lot like mining
for gold," Carnegie answered. "Miners will move tons of dirt to
find a single ounce of gold. However, they aren't looking for
dirt. They're looking for gold."
I'm convinced becoming a devoted follower of Jesus
involves serving others in a way that enables them to tap their
God-given and often hidden potential. Service is a fundamental
principal that needs to become a value. By that I mean, service
can't just be an external truth we say is important, but one
we've internalized to the point where it drives our behavior.
Jesus himself said he had not come to be served
but to serve. On a couple of occasions he corrected his
disciples because they held to the idea that a leader is to lord
it over other people. Paul echoed that truth when he wrote, "Do
not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather
think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the
measure of faith God has given you . . . We have different
gifts, according to the grace given us" (Romans 12:3,6).
Fundamental to becoming a servant leader is
recognizing that we serve others best when we serve God first.
The psalmist underlined the importance of maintaining the proper
focus when he said; "Unless the Lord builds the house, its
builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1).
It's crucial that the focus of our lives and work
not be the organizing and managing of a project or team. It
can't be the profit that will be generated, although that's
important. The focus throughout the beginning, middle, and end
of our day must be to serve God.
All sorts of things will clamor for our attention
and beg for our devotion. But God alone is worthy of it. And as
we devote ourselves to God he will enable us to do that which
runs contrary to our fallen nature . . . he'll enable us to
serve others. He will give us the desire and power needed to
help others realize the full extent of their God-given
potential. When that happens, we'll have the joy of seeing them
realize their greatest dreams.
So if you want to follow Jesus by serving others,
remember this: You serve others best when you serve God first.
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