Service Begins At Home

To Lead is to serve and service begins at home...

Many of us have heard the charge that service begins at home.  It's more than a cliché.  Intuitively, it is God's instruction for us.

The most important lesson of my current season is service.  Everything I do, everything I am, everything I've gone through is not for me, it is for my service to others.  Sure, I reap the rewards, life, love, laughter, epiphanies, learning and a host of other profundity.  I also reap the weeds, the re-growth and re-do whenever I block or refuse my own learning.

I have several friends.  I have several circles where many enrich my life tremendously, and I theirs.  I don't reveal that arrogantly, I'm aware of my worth.  But a power conversation with one of my power posse members draped profound truth upon my heart.  In everything I do I must question, how am I serving?  Who am I serving?

What I've learned is that we as followers of Christ, lovers of the most high God must comprehend the breadth of service.  And as an outgoing, loving, outreaching being, I don't often find it difficult to serve others.  You ask, I'm there even when it's not necessarily convenient. I won't say it's always easy to serve my inner-outer circles, I will say it's my pleasure.

So I'm speaking with one of my power posse members and of course she had the nerve, the gall to go to the well and drag me along with her.  We're having a conversation about action... real action, doing.  As we're speaking, flashes spark in my mind about seemingly minor needs required for my husband.  He's a busy guy, I'm a busy gal and most times I feel like I do my share.  But as the PP continues to speak, I am besieged by some minor errands that I can accomplish that will make his day a little easier, a little better, his life a little more remarkable.

The PP and I arrive at the same conclusion simultaneously.  We're here to serve but we must remember that service begins at home.  How can one expect to be exceptional for the globe when the walls at home are suffering or lacking?  Suffering and lacking in areas where you/I am gifted?

So I came home and I prayed.  I talked, I walked and I prayed.  I pray that my light illuminates from my heart, reverberates throughout my home and resonates with the globe.  That is my prayer.  God give me strength, fortitude and aptitude.  Service begins at home...  By serving Man, ultimately you are serving God.

This is Toni Staton Harris, Checkin' Up & In on Service...  Who are you serving?