The calling of becoming a servant
There has never been a greater moment for those with a desire to serve — the jobs are endless
I haven’t been sharing my writing as much as I would like — I can get really in my head about it. Something I think other artist temperaments would understand. But I’ve been feeling the deep gnawing to share, create, and write even more. It’s something that can be easy to dismiss when you’re not using your sharing-your-art-muscles. I was scrolling through my archived posts on instagram a few days ago, where I used to share writings daily from 2016-2020. I was a writing and sharing machine. After the pandemic, moving across the country (twice) and then expecting our first baby — I’ve realized I’ve done so much internal work, prayer, and spending time being hidden during all those huge life events that I’ve forgotten a bit how to share effortlessly. And I extend grace to myself for that too, and to others that have felt similar because artists aren’t always sharing. I know social media makes us feel that way, but in reality, creativity and sharing that creativity has seasons. And acknowledging those seasons and making room for them is as important as creating the art. For any of my fellow artist temperaments — I want to extend an invitation to give yourself some dang grace. No matter the season, no matter your output, no matter the audience size, allow yourself to be where you are. Meet yourself in the season you’re in because seasons truly don’t last forever even when they feel like they do. You will share again, you will have inspiration again, and you will become hidden once again. And if you’re hidden — I hope you find peace and rest during this time. If you’re sharing and full of inspiration — I hope you find an abundance more of creative energy around the corner. Let yourself be an artist, of whatever kind, and welcome the season you’re in. (I’m taking this advice for myself, too.)
With this, I’d love to share something that’s been really been tugging at my heart these past few weeks. The idea of becoming a servant and having a servant’s heart.
Something I think a lot of us feel warm and fuzzy about but never really get down into the dirt of becoming it. Because it takes time, energy, effort, planning, and a whole heart shift to that direction. It’s not instant gratification or something we can become overnight. We can wake up daily and plant the seeds, but we don’t know when we’ll see the harvest. And besides, having a servant’s heart requires us to step outside of ourselves and think of others, which isn’t our default state.
We live in a world where documenting our lives and showing what we are doing, what we have, and what’s going on with us, is the standard. And there’s nothing wrong with sharing and expressing of course, but I think the whole ‘document everything’ is a slippery slope into self-centeredness. Constantly projecting ourselves, our lives, our everything onto social media, let’s say instagram, is a practice of the self. (I’d like to put a little bookmark right here to say I’m not writing about sharing your art of any kind. Art is made to be shared, it’s a gift to humanity.) But constantly practicing this sharing of the self, doesn’t set us up well to have a servant’s heart.
When was the last time we stopped ourselves and did something for someone else? It’s such a simple question, one that we may have heard in kindergarten. But it’s important. Maybe you did something yesterday, or maybe you can’t remember the last time. And it can be something that seems small. Sending a birthday card, hosting a dinner, getting involved in community work, volunteering at church, praying and interceding for someone, caring for the neighbors around you. Putting these kinds of things at the center and practicing them, builds our servant heart muscles. And the more we put them into practice, the less resistance we will feel doing them. In fact, the more we do them, the more common it will be to think about others rather than just thinking about ourselves.
The opportunities to serve are endless because we live in a hurting world. There has never been a greater moment for those who desire to serve — the jobs are endless.
It’s far too easy to be so closely wrapped up in ourselves, we cannot even see someone else. We can be blinded by ourselves, our lives, our desires, our own struggles.
To go off on a tangent for a second, but it’s one of the thoughts that caused me to start pondering this whole idea is a tool I use to combat anxiety. One of the greatest tools I’ve ever used against anxiety is to step out from myself and pray for someone else. As we know, anxiety attacks ourselves — makes us fear what could happen to us, who could look at us funny, what if this happens, fear of our future, and the list goes on. And typically, if not almost always, it all has to do with ourselves.
When I’m feeling anxious or the dreaded panic starts to come on, I will begin to pray for someone else. I will ask, “Who can I pray for?” And whoever comes to mind first, I begin to pray for feverishly. This turns the attention off of myself and onto someone else. Suddenly, the anxiety has no power because I’m not trapped within myself. And by doing this, I’ve started to think, imagine living your life this way? Rather than just using it as a handy anxiety tool, but imagine this being a calling. Imagine the shifts that can happen when we stop being so inward and looking at ourselves, our mess, our situations all the time, but to begin to look outward at others.
What an incredible way of life when we begin to see the world through the lenses of: What do the people around me need? Who can I help? Who needs prayer? Who can I cook for? Who can I extend friendship too?
I can guarantee you don’t have to look far either. Start with your family, your roommates, your friends, your neighbors, someone you feel pulled to in your community. Start with your spouse or your parents. There are job openings everywhere for serving, you just have to start.
I also want to write that there is so much power in serving. Being a servant is absolutely a calling, it’s a practice we are all called to do. I think it’s easy to always think of callings with a “me me me” attitude. Similar to the projection of self we are so used to doing on social media.
I remember thinking of callings as being this massive idea. That callings were supposed to be this epic, huge, important role that everyone saw — almost a spotlight kinda of thing. And, that’s not entirely wrong, but maybe the wrong perspective. All callings are epic, huge, and important. Fact. And everyone around you, will see you. Will millions see you on instagram? Mmm, maybe not. But your family will. Your friends. The people you impact day to day. And callings can be — Being a servant. Being a mom. Being a provider for your family. Raising important humans. Being a leader of your household. Being a beacon of hope in your community. Being an artist. Leading a cause.
The list of callings is endless and they all require serving in the job description. (And they are all gloriously important) But I encourage you to begin today — Begin with a prayer for someone. Send some baked goods over to your neighbors. Ask someone how they are doing. Being human is tough, I think we can all agree on that. Be who you wish you had during your hard season — Start small but never under estimate the power, the reach, the domino-effect, the beauty of that small act of serving. It’s bigger than all of us.
Here’s to becoming servants. A mighty calling.
— Jak
It’s amazing that everything you have written here is something I have also been feeling for the past few months, to a T. Noticing the pull to ‘share everything, always’ in our social media crazed culture, to wanting to still share but stepping back, and missing the art of daily writings in bite-sized instagram posts, to shifting from a self-focused to others-focused mindset (forever learning this!) — all so so good. I’ve missed your writings immensely. Thank you so much for sharing.