It feels Good to Help Others

Photo credit: Kara Lucas

Helping others is service. Helping others even if they didn't ask your help feels even better. It does feels good to help others; the Good Samaritan way. 

While on the road this morning I got curious what was causing the traffic jam.  As I got closer, I saw a Hummer H2 with a military plate blocking the road. It's getting congested and drivers are honking. A young lady was trying to maneuver the huge vehicle. I parked my car on the roadside, get down and approached the luxury truck. The girl rolled down her window and I asked what was wrong. She wasn't sure. I told her I have never driven a hummer before and so I offered to push her vehicle instead. She said "it's locked down and you won't be able to push". Drivers are still honking and so I called a Tuktuk driver to help me push. I instructed the girl to place the stick gear in neutral. Push..and push harder, we did! Of course, people on their bikes and cars were just watching us push. The lady thank me and said she just called somebody to come check the vehicle. 

Years ago, some friends of us were moving but we didn't realize they were moving their stuff. Everyone thought they were just selling off their stuff as they did the previous days. As I was teaching my friend came and asked why no one helps them, and cried in front of me. I said sorry we didn't know you are moving, why didn't you tell us. She replied, "aren't you supposed to help when you see someone doing things, even without being asked?" Expectation, communication problem, etc. 

The first woman in this article, didn't ask my help; I offered mine. I'm sure she's happy that a stranger with a headband, long hair and mustache would offer to help. Doing an act of service to someone when you are asked to help is good but helping others voluntarily is even better. The second woman in this post felt so bad that none of us help her. Perhaps we should have but we weren't aware of the situation. Feeling bad because no one helps you doesn't seem right. You shouldn't demand others help. 

In 2005, I was busy moving stuff from my friend's house to my house. Two pastors were watching me as they lay on the swing and didn't care to help. I feel bad a bit, but don't have any reason to feel bad. Perhaps, I should have asked their help. 

 It's completely okay to ask for a hand. It's okay to ask others to help you. But remember that you should better touch their hearts before you ask for their hands. But if they don't, don't demand. Life is good to keep those bad feelings in your soul; it's going to ruin your day. 

Becoming a Better Servant not a Better Leader

Photo Credit: Dr. R. Bickert

After studying the teaching of Jesus on being a servant, I began to think how can I be a better servant and not a better leader. In the past, I used to think how I would become a better leader. I read dozens of books on leadership because I wanted to improve my leadership ability and skill. I was fascinated with the subject of leadership because there seems to be a leadership crisis both the church and the world. John Maxwell's dictum that, "Everything rises and falls on leadership," is true, making leadership a necessity. 

Despite the leadership crisis around, my encounter with the actual words of Jesus on servanthood forced me not to think how to be a better leader but to be a better servant. In fact God seems to impress on me to go the extreme and take the words of Jesus literally-become a servant-servant of all. After much thought and prayer, abdicating my leadership position might be the radical way to go to become a real servant in a real world! I’d be extremely happy if I’ll just be a pure servant for the Cambodian church.

The path of positional leadership is not the path I should follow. Leading might not work for me any longer but serving; this I want to pursue. I don’t think I have what it takes to be a leader, but I do have what it takes to be a servant. I have the heart to do the least job available. I am willing to do dirtiest job  out there. I can do what a real servant can do. 

Many people think about leadership but not service. Although politicians talk about 'service' what they really want is leadership position, power and prestige. Wait a minute, there should never be no polarization of being a leader and a being servant. Right, and that's why others teach servant-leadership. Servanthood and leadership should go hand-and-hand they argue.  The servant concept becomes a facade as one wants to be a servant yet still clamoring for leadership power and position. 

Ironically, however, one becomes a better leader by being a better servant.