Spread Too Thin by Ellen Miller

Author:Ellen Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Life / Devotional, RELIGION / Christian Life / Women's Issues
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2018-04-03T04:00:00+00:00

One of the most famous quotes of all time on this topic, attributed to Gandhi, is “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” But I like Jesus’ words even better: “This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:17).

DAY 44

THINK OF THEM AS A FOREIGN MISSION FIELD

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

ATTRIBUTED TO IAN MACLAREN

WE ALL SERVE SOMEONE. If you work in the health industry, you care for patients. If you’re in ministry, you “tend” your sheep. If you are a volunteer, teacher, or cashier, or if you’re employed by a service organization such as ours, you serve students, customers, or clients. And it’s likely that from time to time they will wear you out. Yes, ma’am. No one can spread you thinner than a difficult customer.

Serving others is really fun when they’re being patient, kind, and appreciative. Serving them when they’re on their last nerve is a different story. This is when a spirit of ministry needs to kick in. I have found when I am faced with an unreasonable demand or unhappy customer, I need to think of that person as a mission field: He or she is desperate for relief.

At our agency, our first core value—the tenet by which we operate—is service. To us, serving is not an obligation or something we have to do to set ourselves apart from other agencies. Service is a privilege. God has blessed us with unique gifts, opportunities, and fabulous clients, and it is our responsibility to be good stewards of those talents, protecting ourselves from burnout when difficult circumstances or challenging individuals begin to affect our attitude and quality of service.

Being burned out by our jobs will dilute us quicker than anything else—after all, we spend forty-plus hours of our week there. Becoming overextended and exasperated by another’s demands often leads to disappointment and a feeling of defeat or failure. The fallout not only affects us personally, but it can threaten the state of peace and security in our families, depending on what we choose to take home. To prevent this, we must guard our minds and center our hearts to respond with grace the next time we face a challenging person. We must pray for strength in order to counter their anger with kindness. We must choose to bring light into their dark world, just as we would the needy and oppressed in faraway lands.

Just between you and me,

Are your customers, students, patients, clients, or teammates becoming a frustration to the point of negatively impacting your joy for your work?

Can you consider that outside circumstances are likely making their lives difficult too?

Would you think differently about how you serve them if you considered them more as your ministry than as customers or peers?

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