Serve to Discover Abundance
The Radical Shift from “me to we.”
St. Luke’s takes seriously the tag-line, “The Good Neighbor Church.” We often add to that statement, “A Servant Church,” all used to reinforce St. Luke’s rootedness in our Christian faith commitment. Literally hundreds of you have recognized and owned this and have already discovered the abundance which comes from serving others. They are not just tag-lines they are reality!
Sometimes we may not consciously realize how service transforms us in greater proportion than significance of service rendered. Example: even the small act of holding a door for somebody, with a full heart that says “may I be of use to this person” can change deeply embedded habits of self-centeredness. In that brief moment we experience other-centeredness that relaxes unconscious patterns of self-oriented tendencies that are subtly influence our choices. There is potential in our lives for transformation in every act of generosity... leading us to the realization that when we give we literally receive in abundance. Interestingly, this is impossible to intellectually internalize without actually experiencing... it must be experienced!
Each act of service is an unending ripple that synergizes with countless others, becoming effortless. Naomi Remen puts it, “When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve you see life as whole.” With that understanding, we begin to play our part, first by becoming conscious of the blessings we receive, then by feeling gratitude for them and finally by continuing to pay forward our gifts with a heart of Joy! This is how we sync up with our vast “inner-net.”
I had the profound privileged to watch this reality in action while serving with our youth on a mission trip. I witnessed youth elevating themselves to amazing heights while serving in hot, dirty and demanding conditions. Not only did they work diligently without prodding, they shared in detail how those experiences moved and transformed them. Serving is transformational, refocusing and adjusting the mind from self-to-others, in deep-rooted ways.
Good mental health finds its emotional foundation in heart-felt service of others!
- Paul Harshner
10 for 10 Daily Inspiration | Day 5: Service
