Friday; August 15

Years ago, there was an adage that advocated, “Look out for Number 1”.  In essence, we were told by society that we needed to take care of ourselves because everyone knows that if we don’t do it, no one else will.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  Well, maybe not.  Sure, from a humanistic perspective, taking care of ourselves helps us to get ahead, but is that where we are called to be?  Interestingly, being a leader doesn’t always mean being first.  In fact, if we look at the lives of the best leaders, they are often called “servant leaders” – and if we want to take this to the extreme, the greatest leader of all time, Jesus, was the ultimate servant as He was a literal sacrifice for all of mankind.

Interestingly, this type of leadership was handed down to Christians (another name for “followers of Christ”) in a variety of places in the New Testament including the letters of Paul.  As he wrote to the church in the capital city he challenged believers, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans 15:1-2).  In contrast to modern society, disciples of Jesus are called upon to put the needs of others ahead of our own rights.  We can claim what we want, but if we are going to serve the Savior, we need to step back and support others – especially those who aren’t as spiritually developed as us.

I believe there is something special about knowing what we have the right to do and voluntarily giving up that privilege to help others.  In an odd sense that is the essence of control – choosing to give in to the needs of others.  Are we willing to set aside our wants and help others find what they truly need?

          Think About It!

 


Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; May 13

Today is a special day for me.  While the official Law Enforcement Memorial Day is May 15, the Law Enforcement Candlelight Vigil is traditionally held on the evening of May 13.  It is true that people from all around the country honor the Law Enforcement Community on the 15 th – and many people gather in our nation’s capital to mark the event – it is in the quiet somberness that I find the most heartfelt emotion.  People gather together on the National Mall to hear a roll call of the names of our heroes and light candles in unison to remember the sacrifice these officers made for their community.  Standing there with thousands of friends, families and fans of these often unsung heroes fills my heart with joy and my soul with sadness.  Every once in a while, I will hear the name of someone connected to me, but even if they are all strangers to me, there is a relationship.  I have been blessed to have a connection to the police world for thirty years now and...
Read more

Tuesday; May 27

Are you having a tough day today?  If so, why?  What has gotten you so wound up that you can’t relax and rejoice?  On those days when I have a bad day, I am finding that the cause is often something outside my control.  Maybe it is an argument between co-workers.  There are times it is a news story that has captured my attention.  As trivial as it seems, it might even be the fact that my favorite team is in a losing streak.  You know, there are times when it doesn’t seem to take much to suck the life out of me.  Now, while this may seem to be rather simplistic, I think there is some positive news.  You see, if it is something this simple that can make me feel bad, shouldn’t it also be true that something simple just might be able to pull me out of the doldrums.  If we are facing a bad day (not one of those terrible, horrible, no good very bad days … just a bad day), could it be that we just need something to turn it around?  As I wa...
Read more

Monday; May 26

Happy Memorial Day! Throughout my life, Memorial Day has been one of my favorite national holidays.  I think that, when I was a kid, it was more about the timing of the day.  It was the beginning of beach weather, baseball season was in full swing, and we were counting down the last days of school before summer vacation.  Not bad reasons to have a holiday, right? As I have aged (and matured) I find that I still like Memorial Day.  These days it’s less about getting out the grill or having a day to fertilize the lawn; rather, it is a day set aside to reflect.  As much as we’d like to believe that we are self-made people, so much of who we are comes from the people who have gone before us.  Some of them fought and died for the freedom of our nation, but many more of them lived and taught us about what made us good people.  I am grateful that we take the time to honor our military heroes, but I also believe that we should take some time to give credit (an...
Read more