But you must be strategic with where you choose to invest your time.
“Voluntary Service is one of the most honorable actions any human can make.
But be careful where you invest your time.
Trying to make it work somewhere, where your service/value is unappreciated is theft from an opportunity to serve somewhere your efforts are deeply desired.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
Next to my Faith and my Family, nothing is more important to me than service.
I want to be of value to those closest to me and to the stranger on the street.
I want to take part in big acts of service as well as small acts, as I know first-hand seemingly small, simple acts of service go a long way.
The reason service is so important to me is actually not because of me. But because of the God I serve who lives inside of me.
Left to my own vices, I am as selfish and egotistical as they make ‘em, but with God alive in my heart I am deeply encouraged to overcome my heavily flawed self.
I know perfection is impossible, only He can wear the crown, but I am encouraged daily to be a little more like Him, and a little less like me.
As much as I’ve learned that at the very root of service lies selflessness, I have also learned how critically important it is to be selectively selfless.
I don’t mean this in a sense of picking and choosing when and where to be gratuitous.
Not giving to that homeless man on the street corner because “he’ll probably use it for drugs,” is nonsense. His potential misuse of my gift (actually God’s gift, that I am a short-term, temporary steward of) should have nothing to do with the giving desire in my heart.
After all, I may look a little different, but I am as broken and undeserving as that man on the street corner I am inclined to judge. Thank God, He never judged me and found me worthy.
What I mean by selective service, is that I’ve learned you can so deeply want to be of service and add value to some situations, but your value can sometimes be a) unappreciated and/or b) unwanted.
Serve them anyway, right?
I wish, but that isn’t always the best case.
With a finite amount of time here on earth, scratching and clawing to add value to a circumstance your efforts are unappreciated in, unfortunately steals from opportunities where your service is deeply desired.
Be selective, find where your value can be of the most value.
It’s how you can change the world.
