Serving

More than ever, service is important.

A huge responsibility for the Christian is to serve others. And be happy doing it. (See Colossians 3:23-24; Galatians 5:13-14; Hebrews 13:16; Proverbs 19:17; 1 John 3:18, among many others)

Sadly, poor service is increasingly common (both inside and outside the Church).

“Service” seems to be evolving into one of those words that now means the opposite of what it used to mean, like the way “awful” used to mean “incredible” (you know…to be full of awe), but now just means terrible.

Little of what is accomplished by the Internal Revenue Service, Civil Service, Postal Service, and Social Service seems to be service-oriented.

Customer Service, Wireless Service, and Internet Service are all terms characterized by inconsistency, irony, or indifference.

Service Stations have disappeared (and self-service isn’t the same thing).

Room service is still a convenience, but one that is typically a marked step-down from an in-restaurant experience.

Service charges have become disproportionate tariffs attached to goods, billed for automated deeds as an artificial justification to charge higher prices.

Those who devote their lives to public service too often follow paths of greed and corruption, while those enlisting in military service have historically been neglected, forgotten, or at the very least, under-appreciated.

Community service is a punishment as often as it is a noble pursuit.

Religious service tend to cater increasingly to spiritual consumerism more than selfless surrender or sacrifice. Prayer services are among the lowest attended, least popular of all congregational gatherings.

When it comes to service, much of what is discussed is lip service.

Good service is unfortunately rare and altogether refreshing to experience.

Good service is characterized by:

responsiveness
promptness
pleasantness
thoroughness
attentiveness
selflessness
ability
positivity
responsibility
civility
humility
adaptability
information
organization
communication
innovation
prioritization
cooperation

How’s your serve?

Great service starts on the inside of an organization – with the way we treat our co-workers and teammates – and then works its way out.

Dan Zadra

Excellence in everything we do as an organization is the price we pay every day to earn the right to serve our mission, our customers, our team.

Ron Kitchens

Just do what you love, love what you do, serve others well, add a little pizzazz, sweat a little bit and fortune will find you.

Larry Winget

To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.

Douglas Adams

Those who have the ability to imagine new services and new opportunities and new ways to recruit work … are the new Untouchables. Those with the imagination to invent smarter ways to do old jobs, energy-saving ways to provide new services, new ways to attract old customers or new ways to combine existing technologies will thrive.

Thomas Edison

I began learning long ago that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.

Booker T. Washington

It is impossible to be be both self-satisfied and service-minded.

Meekness is not weakness but strength harnessed for service.

Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Martin Luther King, Jr.