Service
Before Self
Scenario:
You’ve got five minutes remaining until your shift ends. You’ve been looking forward to getting off
work all day when, seemingly out of nowhere, a customer shows up who presents a
unique problem that has to be taken care of right away. You know you can address the problem and possess
the expertise to easily take care of it, but it’s going to take thirty minutes more
of your time to do it.
Scenario:
Your buddy is pinned down by small arms fire. The only way he can break free is if you put
yourself in a vulnerable position to provide covering fire. Bullets are flying everywhere and the area is
getting hotter by the second. You must
act now if you expect to have any hope of saving his life.
Scenario:
A deadline has been set for the completion of a task that is two weeks
away. There’s plenty of time built in to
accomplish all the necessary work to meet or exceed expectations. You have knowledge that will enhance the
quality of the report but are significantly distracted by other obligations. You can be proactive or reactive…the choice
is yours.
Each of these scenarios presents unique
perspectives that capture the essence of service before self. Each requires a decision that pits self-interest
against the answer to a higher call of service.
All too often we hear messages that,
although well-intentioned, distort the honor and benefits of service. The messages speak well of self-discovery and
offer motivating clichés to carving out a success path in life by keeping our
eyes on our dreams and aspirations. But
they often fall short of revealing the full spectrum of instructions that
adequately articulate the rewards of service.
The opportunity for service can present
itself at any time under most any circumstance, as indicated by the diversity
of the examples above. The opportunity
doesn’t always present itself in crisis.
Sometimes, it’s just a simple opportunity to serve. Habitat for Humanity or the Red Cross blood
donation comes to mind. The complexity arises
when we fail to remove our own self-interests from the equation and allow it to
distort the opportunity to serve. Doing
so may cause us to miss the opportunity altogether. And that’s unfortunate.
The bottom line is this – when the
opportunity to serve presents itself, we have one of two choices: to serve or
not to serve. Either choice brings with
it an appropriate affect. To serve is
typically the honorable choice because, (and here’s the twist) out of sacrifice
comes the richness of our decision. You
see, even the smallest gesture of service is richly rewarded in at least the
knowledge that your actions enhance, preserve, or provide for the needs of
someone else at the pause of your own needs and desires.
Unselfish service has a way of finding
favor with those who provide it. The
epitome of such service, in my humble opinion, is the Medal of Honor
citation. Those who have received it
will be the first to tell you about how “others” are the real heroes deserving
the recognition. And perhaps there’s an
underlying truth to that sentiment. But
it’s their unselfish act of service that garners the true recognition it so
rightfully deserves. Those who put
service before self seldom seek recognition.
They act because it’s the right thing to do…plain and simple. Whatever their motivation to act, Medal of
Honor recipients stood tall at the hour of greatest need and said, “Pick me,
I’ll do it.”
But you don’t have to be a Medal of Honor
recipient to step forward and in the interest of service before self. Look for an opportunity to serve and, as the
Nike slogan encourages, “Just Do It!” Put
someone else first and your rewards will pay dividends far beyond your
imagination. After all, the highest form
of recognition lies within. It lies in
knowing you contributed to enhancing the value or quality to someone’s life
they otherwise would not have, if not for your unselfish service.
Service before self can also be penned in
a slightly different way: “Unselfish
service!” The sooner you take “me”
out of the equation and replace it with “we” your entire perspective changes
for the betterment of those around you, and I would argue, mankind. Let’s face it, we live in a “me-centered”
society where gratification has become the yardstick by which we measure our
actions. Whether you know it or not,
your decisions affect the lives of someone.
Whether you choose to act (and serve) or whether you choose not to.
This nation was founded on principles of
service. We look out for each
other. Its part of what made us the
great nation we are today. Are you doing
your part? Who have you helped
recently? Your church or civic organization
always has a need for service
providers. You’re not expected to do it
all...just what you can. Collectively, we can all make a difference by placing service before self!
"Unselfish service is the cornerstone of human compassion." - G. Westfal -
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