This is a word our children are very familiar with. Mr. Webster defines a servant like this: one who serves others, one who answers the need of, one who provides services that benefit or help.
When our children were little, we wanted to instill in them the utmost importance of what it means to be a servant.
In the Bible, Jesus placed real value in this. It was demonstrated over and over again where He, in all His glory, chose to be a servant. It is a mystery to me, that God Almighty, not only instructed us to be servants to others, but that His whole life WAS THAT of sacrifice. This is exactly what it takes to be a servant. One who chooses others over self...one who SERVES others.
Most times when we ask one of the children to do something "above and beyond" for the other child, or for someone else, we refer to it as “being a servant".
During prayer time "the servant" asks the other family members what or who they think needs prayer. They then take the requests and pray. It is awesome to see them take leadership at a young age.
There are plenty of times and situations when it is difficult to be a servant.
This is not about pride or about impressing people. It is about listening to God. It is about teaching our children to pray, to ask for wisdom and to be sensitive to those around them.
There is nothing more rewarding than to teach your children this value.
They see it. They know it. They recognize it. They use it. They learn from it and hopefully someday they too, will have the joy in passing it down to their children.
It becomes a character trait, that you, as a parent, have the ability to prune, nurture and make sure it is good and strong. If it is not producing, it needs to be examined and taken care of. It is one of the most prized gifts you can give your child...it is a gift that continues to give.
By no means am I implying that my children or we as parents are always willing to do what is asked of us. Being a servant takes a conscious decision to put aside our selfish desire in order to meet the needs of someone else.
Being a servant with a HAPPY HEART is worth its weight in GOLD!
"Train up a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6
Shared with: Titus 2sday
No comments:
Post a Comment