Finding Joy and Success in Our Service

Throughout her lifetime, my wonderful Mother modeled for me the importance of serving others and demonstrated that a life well-lived fosters insight and inspiration among those who we serve. In support of her children and her community, she used her talents to serve as a Girl Scout leader, as treasurer of the DuBois Little League Auxiliary, in our church’s Children’s Ministry, and as a member of the Junior Women’s Club. Because of the impact she made, Mommy was celebrated with an award for her service.

 Throughout my lifetime, I have sought to follow her footsteps by being dedicated to serving others in my profession, my church, and my community. Unfortunately, I failed to realize that we become highly effective and efficient and we find joy when we collaborate with others in our service. So often, I would assume that I wasn’t an effective servant when I wasn’t handing all the load by myself.

 Reading Exodus 18:17 – 18, I hear the Lord counsel me that this is a mistaken view as Moses’ father-in-law counsels Moses about his workload as a judge for his people.

Exodus 18:17-18 

Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” 

Moses father-in-law then recommended that Moses choose effective, trustworthy, and talented collaborators to serve with him. In verse 23, he said the following:

Exodus 18: 23 

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

God’s counsel in these verses demonstrates that when you collaborate you bless yourself, those with whom you partner, and those whom you join in serving. You also will complete an extraordinary workload.

My proneness to not inviting others to join me in serving was demonstrated when Susanne and Chuck Spiezio agreed to help me lead Cornerstone’s DivorceCare ministry. I was so grateful that they were willing to join me in continuing this ministry, and I was determined not to burden them. So these amazing facilitators didn’t leave me, I was resistant to allowing Susanne to make treats for our participants. Finally, the Lord spoke to me that my decision robbed the two of us of the joy of collaborating and was a barrier to Susanne feeling joy. Now, our participants receive diverse yumminess from both of us, my load is lightened, and Susanne feels my gratitude for her collaboration in leading this ministry.

 Moses’ collaboration with Aaron and Hur in supporting Joshua and his fellow defenders of the Israelites, when they were attacked by the Amalekites, shows the power of collaborating:

Exodus 17:11-13 

 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 

 These verses demonstrate that collaboration is a key to our success in serving others. God will bless us and further our success as we join in serving Him. In fact, Jesus urged us to serve in Mark 9:35.

 Mark 9:35 

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Amen!