It is Sunday morning and I have finished my lesson to the background music of Vivaldi. I then begin reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s biography, while in the other room, the cat is scratching his front paws on the new contraption labeled for such activity and I am deep in thought. WHAT IF……………
Is it possible?
Is this the answer?
It is difficult for many to understand the Servant Hospitality theory, as it means that we give up our thinking that WE are number one. What do you mean? I am not the most important person here? The world does not revolve around me? The world IS to listen to everything that I say and take it as truth. I have the experience and I, alone, know the answers to everything. Please do not interrupt me while I am speaking. You are being enlightened.
Really?
In our developmental stages, we are taught to succeed on OUR own merits and let everyone else fall by the wayside. It is told to us that WE have exceptional talent and that the world WILL revolve around us. Have you thought today about loving your neighbor as yourself? A great commandment NEVER TO BE LOST in our daily lives.
Whether you are an hourly employee, manager or CEO – do not forget your beginnings. Were you shown kindness in your early stages of work? Were people patient with you? Were you also admonished after being told perhaps too many times the same thing? Were you progressing the way you wanted to progress given the circumstances? Did you like your immediate supervisors? Were you told things to do that you knew were wrong? Were you the scapegoat for a manager’s bad decisions? Have you been fired? Have you been asked to leave quietly? Have you seen things that should not go on but still did with nothing done about it? The list is endless, isn’t it?
Dying to self is placing everyone elses’ needs above your own. If you are a desk clerk, a maid, a cook, a dishwasher, a manager, an owner or CEO, practicing this on a daily basis will produce great results.
The hospitality industry in many cases does not live up to its name. While a member of my family was ill and in the hospital, the receptionist was talking on the cell phone and I had to wait for her personal phone call to be over before I was acknowledged. Staff members are more interested in their private conversations than the guest who needs help and cannot get it. We cannot seem to come to work on time – there are always excuses. We know the dress code but will not get things ready the night before and we try to see if anyone notices. We are on the defensive at all times and we are all guilty of this.
To die to self is to do what WE KNOW WE SHOULD DO and in all cases try our best to help those in need ABOVE our own needs, especially at work, where we spend a majority of our lives.
May I help you with that? Let me do that for you. I will do that. Take your break, I will watch your station for you. I will stay late and help. I will come in on the weekend to finish the project. I will do whatever it takes to help resolve this problem.
Matthew 5-7 gives the major insight into how we are to live our lives….among them, love your enemies and bless the merciful – daily qualities we are to show to our fellow brothers and sisters.
When this is done – can you even imagine what your business will be like? Anticipation of need……
Now, that really is a discussion for another day.
Blessings.