Why I Serve

[Guest]

Upon entry to BYU our Student Body President gave a welcome address to all Freshmen expounding on the school motto.  He said, 

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It does not state: Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Earn.  But rather: Enter to Learn.  Go Forth to Serve.

We too often think that a college education is just about getting a better paying job.  We go to school to have a career and make more money than without.  That's the conventional wisdom.  

I refute that notion on two levels. 

1. I don't believe it to be true.  Education in general whether formal or informal is always beneficial.  But to think that a college degree automatically = higher wages is just plain wrong.
2. Long ago the purpose of higher education was never to just "get a job."  It was to learn about how we can best serve our fellow men.

Do we get paid?  Yes.  I don't say that such education has NO effect on our careers or income.  I have a profession that pretty much required a degree -- whether you learn anything or not, the paper is required.  But the next question I'd ask is,"Why do we choose the career field that we do?"

Some do so because of the money.  Others do so because we know it is what we were designed to do by our Father in Heaven who created us.

Our stake choir director has a wonderful musical gift.  And he pursued that gift until it brought him tremendous success.  But his was not a pursuit of money.  It was a pursuit to utilize the talents God had given him for the betterment of others who may have been given similar gifts at whatever level they may be.

Part of that service is to have classes for all musical callings in the stake.  He teaches people FOR FREE.  He teaches chorister techniques, choir directing principles, general musical lessons, and piano and organ classes.  If anyone has a special musical number with another instrument, he opens the class for those individuals as well.

He said of this service:

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The Lord has given me a gift.  My service as a musician in the Church is how I feel I can at least partly pay Him back.

While his gift is great enough that he can also make a living with it, my musical talents are not as great as his.  But I am given talents in other areas.  I not only use those talents to provide for my family.  I use them to provide service to my clients.  I actually have a niche market that no one really fills.  So, most clients end up having to use much more expensive alternatives and go through more red tape and scheduling delays.  When they see my proposals, they wonder why there aren't more people doing what I do.  The answer is simple.  No on wants to.

Why do I?  Because for me, it is a service just as much as a business.  When I look at it from that perspective, I find wonderful ways to provide more service.

But that is not all.  Career is not the only way to serve others.  My calling(s) in the ward are: Music Chair, Choir Director, Priesthood Instructor, Home Teacher, and apparently building cleaner.  Then there are many other unofficial callings that I usually end up filling in.  I clearly see how the Lord has provided me special talents to help me perform these callings.  Some were innate.  Some were learned.  All were gifts of God.

I, myself, do feel duty bound to make use of these talents as often as time allows -- to serve others, to qualify myself day by day.  I ponder King Benjamin's address -- first about service to fellow men -- but also 

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21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.

Mosiah 2:21-25

I acknowledge many talents that the Lord has given me.  But I do not do so to boast at what I can do.  I do so to give glory to the God who gave me those talents in the first place.

Consider the person who comes into a great sum of money -- like a lottery winner.  I can boast about the money and spend like a drunken sailor.  Or I can realize that with that money comes power to do good as well as evil.  Which road shall I take?  Can I invest it in a manner that will create jobs? Establish a charity?  Provide for the poor?

Likewise, the talents I've been given can give me cause to boast.  But I then recognize that these are not my talents, but the gifts God has given me.  He can also take them away.  Of what have I to boast?  So, I use these talents in many different avenues for the betterment of those around me, to serve those in need, and to serve the Lord.  I can try to pay Him back.  But the only way to pay Him back is by using the talents He gave me in the first place.  So I continue to be an unprofitable servant.  And that is just the way the Lord planned it.

That is why I serve.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Guest

[prisonchaplain]

This does remind me of my first semester at AG Seminary. The president of the school met with new students in small groups. Dr. Tarr led us in a devotion on Jesus washing the disciples' feet. Then he told us we were receiving our church's highest education. "Do you want to lead? GRAB A TOWEL!" Then he handed each of us one. 

[Traveler]

 

I have pondered service.  Doing something for someone that does not want it done – is that service?  Often, as a parent I would provide good healthy food for my children – but there were times they would not eat it.  Their excuse was that they did not “like” it.  My standard response was that I did not provide the food that they would “like” it.  I provided it for the purpose of eating so that they would be healthy.  So, I would tell them to eat it – no one cares if they like it.  Liking it was unnecessary and in the long run did not matter.   I thought and believed that what I told them was a kind of service – learning to appreciate things that are useful and needed.  They thought me a tyrant.  To which I would respond with something like – what possible selfish benefit is mine if you eat what is good and healthy?

Then there is the type of service that no one knows about and most likely will not care.  For example, my wife, when we are shopping (usually for food) will find an item that someone had perhaps placed in their cart and later decided they did not want it and so they just placed it where it does not belong on some random shelf.  She will pick up the item and return it where it belongs.  If I say we are in a hurry and do not have time to waist – she will say, “Hush – we are not wasting anything, we are making things better.

Not only is there service to others – there is service to self.  Things like making one’s bed in the morning.  Taking proper care of belongings and in general leaving things better after they are used – in essence – maintaining order.

Sometimes being kind to others that are not kind – is a type of service.  Being kind when you do not feel like it is quite a unique service.  I really struggle with this one – how can we be kind when someone is wrong and determined to do something they shouldn’t?  Is it kind to report a friend – say for shoplifting?

Then there is the service in a calling.  To be honest 90% of the people I home teach – I would never visit on my own.  Sometimes I do not even like them very much – but I go each month.  Is that really service?  Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if someone else home taught them but I do not complain to anyone or ask for a change – is that service?  With some I never talk about the Church – because they do not like the church and do not want anything to do with it.  Sometimes I just help fix plumbing, electrical or help fix something else.  One fellow asked me why I keep coming when he does not really care – I told him that I do it as a service so he would not have to deal with someone more obnoxious than me.  He said that he did not want a visit each month – I said fine, then I will just call and check up every month – or chat over the fence or something.

Mostly I believe service is more an attitude than it is what we do.  Of course, there are exceptions but mostly I believe it is our attitude that determines if what we do is actually service.

 

The Traveler

[Traveler]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 9:34 AM, Carborendum said:

....

Consider the person who comes into a great sum of money -- like a lottery winner.  ....

 

I am sorry to post this because it was how I was raised and most likely will draw some level of misunderstanding somewhere.  I was taught that money from a lottery or other illegitimate or immoral means of gain could never be used for service (or anything good) and to even touch such filthy lucre would taint one’s soul – be it mine or anyone else’s.  That if someone offered a gift, a discount or service and that I suspected something was gotten by improper means – that I should at least inquire and reject anything that is not legitimate.

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Traveler said:

I was taught that money from a lottery or other illegitimate or immoral means of gain could never be used for service (or anything good) and to even touch such filthy lucre would taint one’s soul – be it mine or anyone else’s.  That if someone offered a gift, a discount or service and that I suspected something was gotten by improper means

Well, that goes to show you the difference between a good gift and a bad gift.  But I believe you missed the point.  I was using this as an analogy only.  You might as well lodge a complaint about the parable of the unjust steward.

If someone is GIVEN a gift of money should that person boast about it?  Should they hide it?  No, they should do neither and use that money wisely that it may benefit others.

In the same vein, when we find ourselves with gifts from God, do we boast about those gifts?  Should we hide those gifts?  No, we should use those gifts wisely to benefit mankind.

[Traveler]

2 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

Well, that goes to show you the difference between a good gift and a bad gift.  But I believe you missed the point.  I was using this as an analogy only.  You might as well lodge a complaint about the parable of the unjust steward.

If someone is GIVEN a gift of money should that person boast about it?  Should they hide it?  No, they should do neither and use that money wisely that it may benefit others.

In the same vein, when we find ourselves with gifts from God, do we boast about those gifts?  Should we hide those gifts?  No, we should use those gifts wisely to benefit mankind.

I agree concerning Gifts from G-d.  But what about gifts from Satan?  Money is a primary means Satan uses to accomplish his purposes.  BTW - I once read an article about the suicide rate among lottery winners - very surprising.  Perhaps it is just a matter of what is done with the money.  Sorry for the distraction.

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

Just now, Traveler said:

I agree concerning Gifts from G-d.  But what about gifts from Satan?  Money is a primary means Satan uses to accomplish his purposes.  BTW - I once read an article about the suicide rate among lottery winners - very surprising.  Perhaps it is just a matter of what is done with the money.  Sorry for the distraction.

 

The Traveler

You do know what an analogy is, don't you?

[Traveler]

5 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

You do know what an analogy is, don't you?

Perhaps I missed something - I often do.  I wondered as you considered - what you took into account?  If my response was not helpful to you - I apologize.  If I did miss something - let's start over.

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

Just now, Traveler said:

Perhaps I missed something - I often do.  I wondered as you considered - what you took into account?

1) The lottery thing was AN ANALOGY.

2) The parable of the unjust steward was AN ANALOGY.  That's what parables are.

Just as Jesus was not giving financial or career planning advice to people who are about to lose their jobs, I was not saying that winning the lottery was a saintly thing.

Jesus was using that parable as an analogy for our motives regarding our spiritual blessings.  I was using the lottery as an analogy to describe how we should treat our talents.

[Traveler]

5 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

1) The lottery thing was AN ANALOGY.

2) The parable of the unjust steward was AN ANALOGY.  That's what parables are.

Just as Jesus was not giving financial or career planning advice to people who are about to lose their jobs, I was not saying that winning the lottery was a saintly thing.

Jesus was using that parable as an analogy for our motives regarding our spiritual blessings.  I was using the lottery as an analogy to describe how we should treat our talents.

 

It has been my experience (including myself) that few screw up how to deal with the things they know are good or from G-d.  The same with evil things or the things from Satan.  The bigger problem seems to be – how to deal with the “gray” things that we are not sure of but most certainly the things we do not want to be sure about.

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Traveler said:

It has been my experience (including myself) that few screw up how to deal with the things they know are good or from G-d.  The same with evil things or the things from Satan.  The bigger problem seems to be – how to deal with the “gray” things that we are not sure of but most certainly the things we do not want to be sure about.

Well, that may or my not be true in general, that is not the topic of this thread.  The thread is specifically talking about those who have talents known to be beneficial or profitable.  What is our attitude towards them, and how do we use them?

The biggest failing in this sector is that we tend to ignore that the gift is from God.  We believe they are a part of us and our identity.  Therefore, we can boast about it.  Humility comes in knowing that these gifts are not OURS to do with as we see fit.  They were given to us for a special purpose that the Lord has prepared for us.  Thus, the greatest sin of pride (with regard to this topic) is boasting about gifts from God as if they were our own.