A Servant's Heart

by Ameerah Lewis
(Ohio, USA)

When it comes to your family, do you have a servant's heart?

I was chatting with my mother a few weeks ago. She was talking about some typical things that she does for my step-father. Listening to her, I was so thoroughly impressed. I mean, she works well over 40 hours a week just like he does. But, she still managed to do things like driving nearly an hour out of her way to get to a special store and buy his favorite flavor of water!

I quickly found myself quite furious - But not for the reason that you might think.

I told her I felt like I had been cheated! She and my father divorced when I was young, and she had not remarried until I was already in college - I had never really gotten the chance to see her be a wife. And, to top it all off, she was a really good one!

That is when my mom stopped and began telling me a story about my grandmother.

My mom said that, because her mother had stayed home, she memorized what time my grandfather typically returned. Since he had a manual labor job, she would make sure that his bathwater was run by the time he got home, and that his slippers and a fresh change of cloths were waiting there for him by the tub. She had it timed perfectly so that by the time he had finished his bath, dinner was ready and waiting. Then she would call all of the kids into the kitchen, and they would all sit down and eat dinner as a family.

Honestly, for most of us younger wives, that sounds like something out of an old movie!

Until that moment, I had never stopped to think how much of a servant's heart my grandmother had towards her family. She felt as if it were an honor, not a disgrace, to bless them with her service.

It really made me search my own heart and ask:

Do I have a servant's heart towards my family?

Jesus said to His disciples, "The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12 NLT) So, I must ask myself, what does it really mean to be a servant?

Does it mean doing just enough to get by? As long as there's something to eat and the house is clean enough for company, I'm doing a good job.

Does it just mean serving when it's convenient? As long as I'm in a good mood and haven't had too long of a day - As long as there is really no personal sacrifice necessary - I'll serve you.

Or does it mean going above and beyond the normal call of duty as an expression of my love for my family that God has blessed me with? Does it mean doing the unexpected little things that I know will be a blessing to each of them, not for special occasions, but because I know they are worth it.

You know, much of what we do serving our families isn't all that glamorous. In fact, in our society, being a servant in any capacity is looked down upon and degraded. And, as women, we are given the impression that taking care of the people closest to us is some how unimportant.

But to say that serving someone is unimportant or an inconvenience is to say that they themselves are unimportant.

But to truly serve someone says to them, "You are worth my time and attention. You are worth the sacrifice. Even in your imperfection, you are worthy of my love."

Now, that may seem a bit over the top, but when we really think about it, isn't that what Jesus was saying when He washed the disciple's feet - I serve you because I love you.

If we truly throw ourselves into serving our families with our whole heart, it can become one of the most fruitful ministries that we will ever undertake. But, if we do it half-heartedly and begrudgingly, it can truly disrupt God's plan for our family.

My grandmother had a true servant's heart and was a wonderful wife and mother. But, she was blessed to be able to stay at home with her family and focus on serving them. For those of us who work outside of the home, serving our families with a good attitude can be one of the hardest things to do.

We have been working all day, and dealing with all of the stresses that come along with being out in the world. Sometimes by the time we come in that door, we have already given so much of ourselves away that there isn't much left.

How do we still continue to go the extra mile, and do those little things for our families that usher God's joy and peace into our homes - And how do we do it all with an attitude that brings glory to God?

That is what we will discuss next month. I look forward to talking with you again then.