Helping people serve with passion
June 23, 2010 | 6:36 pm
Many of us church leaders want to know why people have such a hard time keeping a long-term commitment to serving. However, I don’t think the problem is as much about what we are asking people to do, but about who we are asking them to be. Let me clarify:
An artist in my congregation has a real servant’s heart and a long history of cleaning toilets (and other such tasks) in past churches. She’s had no problem serving in that way, but in a recent conversation I had with her, she wondered out loud if the Lord could ever use the gifts and passions resident within her for the sake of the local church.
When we started to explore the possible avenues in which she could express her artistic talents in our little faith community, she started to tear up. The church slots she was used to being asked to fill were not in the arts. But I could think of many ways that her unique gifts could be stewarded well to resource God’s specific call to our church: In adult worship, kids ministry, communication, design, etc…
So we came up with a handful of ideas that she is going to run with; and she’s going to get her artistic friends to run with them as well. We’ll be a more complete church because they are passionately involved by being part of the body that they were designed to be.
But here is the kicker: As we talked about having a servant heart, I realized that as this young woman expresses her distinct design, if we need someone to vacuum the floor or clean the bathrooms, she will be more than happy to do so. She will joyfully engage any servant-tasks that need to be done, because her primary assignment will correspond to her primary gifting and calling.
In other words, I can clean toilets all day long when I know my value is not simply what I am willing to do, but that I am treasured for who God has created me to be.
When we treat people as gifted (and as gifts), they usually don’t mind being asked to serve in other areas, too. But when we treat people like servants, they will eventually loose passion and burn out.
Remember: We are all called to have a servant heart, but we should never treat anyone else like a servant.
I love how you think and how you write. And I know a lot of other people do, too. They just make their comments on other sites. : )
I love the last line – we are all called to have a servant’s heart. And I think that when we truly see others as both gifted, and more importantly, as gifts, they will be released to be who God has called them to be.
How amazing to be in a place where people are recognizing who they are and given the freedom to be just that.
Thanks for this encouragement!