Word of the Week - Service
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45
Service is defined as someone providing help and assistance to those being served. I would suggest that Service should always involve adding value to the person or organization being served. I believe that Service is as much an attitude and perspective as the specific Service being provided. The majority of us work everyday Serving others to make our living by providing something that is of value such as food, repair, maintenance, computer or financial advisory services. We have the opportunity to be both providers and recipients of Services and typically have a sense for what constitutes bad, average and good Service. Service is typically evaluated and measured relative to our comparable Service experiences. For instance we compare our experience eating at one restaurant vs. another restaurant and would typically not compare a fine dining experience to a fast food experience. Service makes the world go round and creates a tremendous opportunity to influence others and make an impact in this world. This is what we see with companies like Chick-fil-a who have taken service to entirely new level and set the gold standard for the restaurant industry.
Heart of Service – I believe the single most important key to providing great Service is ensuring that we have the right heart attitude, which begins on the inside. Understanding that it is truly a blessing and privilege to be able to Serve others. Not seeing it as a burden but as a blessing. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus himself said; ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Acts 20:35 With the right perspective we realize that there is true joy in the act of Serving and giving of ourselves, especially when it is done with pure motives. This is really the essence of the Gospel, that Jesus “Gave His all for us” to model what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. As believers, we exist to Serve others by showing God’s love in practical ways through meeting the needs within our communities, families and spheres of influence. Simple acts of personal kindness can open hearts to the love of Jesus for both those being served and those serving.
Going the Extra Mile – “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two” Matthew 5:41 Having a willing spirit to go the extra mile is one of the things that differentiates typical Service from exceptional Service. When we are willing to go way past what is expected or the minimum threshold, we typically make a meaningful impression and engender goodwill with those we are Serving. It is important to keep a pure heart and not do it so that person “owes you” but do it out of the desire Serve them well. This is the true heart of ministry Service and what the Lord has done for each of us who call upon His name. That being said, these principals work well in any and all areas of life, especially in business. If you want to differentiate yourself in business and build strong and loyal client/customer relationships then go the “extra mile” by going well beyond what is “expected” and you will win clients and friends for life. Moreover, the person who Serves selflessly, lovingly, without complaint, and without seeking recognition is highly regarded in the Kingdom of God. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4
Serving others – One of our values at Founders Advisors is Service. We value serving our clients, our team, and our community/others. As a firm/team, we take the opportunity a few times a year (on MLK day and one day during the summer) to Serve our community. This gives us the opportunity to walk out this value in a tangible way Yesterday, in conjunction with Church of the Highlands Serve Day, we had approximately 25 of our team members invest their Saturday morning serving at Restoration Academy https://www.restorationacademy.org/ . It was a great opportunity to Serve an organization that is making a difference. There is truly something special about coming together as a group and serving others, especially in the name of Jesus. I am grateful to the Lord Jesus for living a life of service and making that the example for us as Christ followers.
Have a great week,
-Duane