NO. 1168 -- THE TRUE JOY OF SERVANTHOOD!

No. 1168

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE TRUE JOY OF SERVANTHOOD!

If you are a caring, sensitive person, you have probably noticed there is an industry in our country that is growing by leaps and bounds. I am referring to the greeting card industry. Go into most any discount store, drug store or novelty shop and you will find a rack of greeting cards that cover most any occasion and relationship you can name, and many you have never thought about before. Some are the old traditional ones, but many are far out. The people who sit around and dream up all those cute, funny and inspirational sayings … well, they just have to have one of the most interesting jobs in the world.
What brought these thoughts to mind is the central idea I want to share with you in this column. Do you ever feel like you need to get a new grip on life? On one of those cute greeting cards there was a picture of a cat hanging from a limb extending out over a high bluff … I mean one of those that looked like it was 1,000 feet to the bottom. The cat’s paws were dug into the bark as he hung suspended in space, looking down at the fate that awaited him had he let go. The caption on the card read, “HANG IN THERE, BABY.”
Now, in light of this illustration, let me pose my question again: Do you need a new grip on life? You realize of course that the odds are a million to one that I don’t know you personally, or your situation in life, especially if you don’t live here in my community. You may have the world by the tail on a “downhill drag” and be a winner and the “cream” of the crop. I truly hope this is the case, but I know from my own personal experience that there are millions of people in our nation who no longer feel that they are masters of their fate. Mentally, these people have given up and are hanging on for dear life, just like that cat I mentioned a moment ago.
If you or someone you care about needs to get a new grip on life, I would like to share a few insights: First, you can’t see much hope in the world until you first feel hope for yourself. The most important thing is to never forget that God loves you and that you were created in His image. You have latent potential and talent that He has given you and you can develop and use it. While I have no way of knowing if you read my column very often, if you can have faith in what I am saying, it will give you the strength and determination to press on. Don’t ever, ever give up. If you happen to be on drugs or have become an alcoholic, you need to seek professional help. Let’s face it; we all need help at some time in our lives.
The main problem is that sometimes we let pride get in the way. The Bible says that “pride goeth before the fall,” and this is true. If you or someone you love has a problem that you can’t handle by yourself, the first step is to admit you have a problem and then, as I’ve already said, get some help. Sadly, most people never learn a profound truth that can be found in the Bible in Matthew 23:11 where Jesus says, “The great among you shall be your servant.” Only when we learn to forget ourselves and think of serving others can we find our real calling and achieve success, and even greatness, that will produce rewards unexpected in common hours. Then, and only then, will life be fulfilling for us as we experience the True Joy of Servanthood. And the great thing about it, it is seldom too late to begin.
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(Editor’s Note: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)