That night was the turning point. A marker event. One Sunday night after a worship service my sophomore year at Auburn I hurried to my dorm room to call Mom. My mind raced, reeled, contemplated as I made my way to my room. What would she say? Would she support me? Would she understand?
I dialed the number and after a few brief check- in formalities, I told her. “I know what I am supposed to do now. I am supposed to serve. I am not sure what that looks like right now. I just know I have to be dedicated to serving others.” Up until then, I was in a research field with a desire to study wolves or panthers; not much interaction with people. I felt there was more and God was calling to me something more purposeful and focused on people. To my mom, it sounded like I wanted to be a missionary…but that sounded a little weird even to me. At this point, my mom was not following Jesus. All I could say to her was that I was called to serve and the worship moment that night was a turning point for me. After assuring her that I was not dropping out of Auburn and going to Africa, I remember feeling overwhelmed by a blend of excitement, uncertainty, and peace. The motivation to serve others has been my core purpose ever since that night. It is the driving force behind all I do.
We just entered a New Year and the buzz is about resolutions. I love setting goals. I thrive on solving complex problems. I set a goal to set goals. No, I do not think I need therapy…or maybe I do. Anyway, it may be a little crazy or OCD but it’s me. Resolutions help me recalibrate goals already set. But here is my issue with the traditional New Year’s resolutions:
- They have become part of a tradition. Part of that tradition is to shed the resolutions by Valentine’s Day and give up. If anything, we bump along half -heatedly until the next New Year’s where we repeat the mindless cycle of resolving to lose weight, get in shape, be nicer etc.
- Resolutions are typically self-centered and egocentric. And that is not really a big deal per se. I believe highly in self -improvement and growth. I find myself doing the same things “I am going to work out more, lose weight, and stick to my budget”. But, it feels empty when they are focused only on me.
- They reveal some type of weakness that we are trying to correct. From the get go, we are starting in a place of disadvantage…possibly because we will try to improve something about ourselves using a method that is outside of our strength zone. For example, if I am trying to lose weight and my strengths are in the areas of relationships, I set myself up for disappointment and most likely failure if I don’t work with another person or find a means of accountability. Most likely, I need some type of relational approach. The opposite is true…if I am self- motivated then it might be harder to work out with others, especially if they start being inconsistent. (Although you might serve to encourage them to stay the course). But, simply charging head-forward without a plan that uses our innate strengths can lead to discouragement and disappointment.
So, what if we do something different? What if we use a different methodology that helps us achieve some of these resolutions and long range goals? What if we adopted a resolution that focused on others, building relationships, or improving something? And if you are an achiever and not driven by relationships, it could be engaging a project that benefits someone else.
- Most everyone is part of a family or part of some network of friends. Think of ways you and your group can serve together. Take on a service project once per month, maybe one Saturday. You could visit a nursing home, help at a food pantry, or find a local home repair project.
- On an individual level, you can commit to something once per month you are passionate about that also serves others.
- In serving, you may still be able to incorporate some of your other resolutions, especially if your goal is to lose weight or be more active.
- Finally, develop a compelling “why” to your resolution. For instance, I like to stay in-shape and have a healthy lifestyle not solely for my personal benefit but because I remind myself how it helps equip me to help someone else. Keeping a budget helps me curve my personal spending so I can be generous for someone else. Make sense? When we resolve to serve, or set goals in relationship to others, we might find ourselves more successful and with a purpose beyond our own self-gratification.
Resolve to serve! Watch other resolutions fall into a place of purpose. Develop a simple, concise plan and follow it. Evaluate your progress each month. Celebrate your small wins and if you get off track, use your evaluation to get back on course. I know it sounds too easy but when we serve, our motivation most likely will grow through action compelling us to stick with our plan. Let’s give our resolutions some greater meaning and see how that changes our inside and our heart a different way.
Let me know how it is going!
Grace and peace,
lisa
Comments are closed