Doing vs. Serving

I have been convicted this past week about a simple question that I often ask myself.

"What should I do next?"

I am very task oriented. Once a job is completed I tend to move right on to the next task at hand. So, I'll often ask myself the question, "What should I do next?" Sounds pretty innocent, huh? No lazy bones here...and, isn't that a good thing?!

But I have been convicted this week that the better question I should be asking myself is:

"How can I serve next?"

Truth is, I often ask myself the first question without giving a thought to the people around me and how I can serve, encourage, build up, and/or minister to them. Sure, the "next thing" I do may very well be the laundry, cooking a meal, or cleaning the bathroom (all things that my family benefits from) but often it is motivated by a selfish heart filled with MY agenda and not necessarily what is best for those around me. Dinner does have to be made...but stopping to listen to my son who needs help with a problem that seems bigger than life to him is MORE important.

It's about serving not just "doing".

I wanted to get this blog post written..but when my daughter asked me to come and cuddle with her on the couch, I had an opportunity to serve. I may have extra time to sit down and catch up on a few blogs I have been wanting to read...but my husband has been trying to finish a conversation with me that he started when he got home (and gave up because of all the interruptions :))...and I have a choice to make, an opportunity to consider him more important than myself.

One of the lines in a chorus we sung this morning in church was, "And may the prayer of my heart always be...make me a servant today."

There are many times when "doing the next thing" and serving are one and the same and there are other times when they are worlds apart!

"Be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of your time because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:18