Learning to Lovewell: W6 - FRI
Other Duties As Assigned
Matthew 5:14-16, NLT 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
We all know, and some of us dread, the line in our job descriptions that reads, “Other Duties As Assigned.” But I love this line.
I love it because if you really care about your job, and your call, then you don’t just do the minimum amount expected of you in your job description. You look for all sorts of other ways and opportunities that you can be a blessing to your coworkers, your customers, and your organization at large. And no task is beneath you. You are an employee of the company, there to help that company grow and be the best it can be.
Ever since I was a college chaplain, I’ve told those I’ve had the privilege of leading that I would never ask others to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself, first. One of the examples I used to use was cleaning up the pews in the church after the vespers program.
In the University where I worked, we shared the church sanctuary with the church community. So on Friday night, we had the sanctuary to do our vespers program which was the biggest program of the week for us. Anywhere from 500-1100 students would fill that space on Friday night. And my favorite time of the week, my favorite moment of ministry, was that time after vespers, when students would stay and hangout and connect for up to three hours after the program was done. It was in that room that walls would come down, hearts would open up, and real conversations would take place.
But once all that was said and done, we had to clean up the sanctuary and make sure it was ready for the church congregation the following morning. This was important work if we were going to be good partners in ministry. So I would often tell my student leaders that this responsibility fell to all of us, whether you were singing up front, speaking up front, or had a big role in the program Friday night or not. None of us were “above” picking up trash, reorganizing pews, and putting pens back in place.
This, to me, is the spirit of Servant leadership; other duties as assigned. What if we all lived into this truth no matter what role we played at church, at work, or how busy our weeks were at home. What if we stepped into all the places we inhabit with a willingness to serve and do whatever it takes to care for another person and to lift up Jesus? Don’t you think this world would be a better place if we let our light shine for all to see, so that others may see our good works and praise our Father in heaven? I do, and I am 1,000% sure it’s worth a try.
Matthew 5:14-16, NLT 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
We all know, and some of us dread, the line in our job descriptions that reads, “Other Duties As Assigned.” But I love this line.
I love it because if you really care about your job, and your call, then you don’t just do the minimum amount expected of you in your job description. You look for all sorts of other ways and opportunities that you can be a blessing to your coworkers, your customers, and your organization at large. And no task is beneath you. You are an employee of the company, there to help that company grow and be the best it can be.
Ever since I was a college chaplain, I’ve told those I’ve had the privilege of leading that I would never ask others to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself, first. One of the examples I used to use was cleaning up the pews in the church after the vespers program.
In the University where I worked, we shared the church sanctuary with the church community. So on Friday night, we had the sanctuary to do our vespers program which was the biggest program of the week for us. Anywhere from 500-1100 students would fill that space on Friday night. And my favorite time of the week, my favorite moment of ministry, was that time after vespers, when students would stay and hangout and connect for up to three hours after the program was done. It was in that room that walls would come down, hearts would open up, and real conversations would take place.
But once all that was said and done, we had to clean up the sanctuary and make sure it was ready for the church congregation the following morning. This was important work if we were going to be good partners in ministry. So I would often tell my student leaders that this responsibility fell to all of us, whether you were singing up front, speaking up front, or had a big role in the program Friday night or not. None of us were “above” picking up trash, reorganizing pews, and putting pens back in place.
This, to me, is the spirit of Servant leadership; other duties as assigned. What if we all lived into this truth no matter what role we played at church, at work, or how busy our weeks were at home. What if we stepped into all the places we inhabit with a willingness to serve and do whatever it takes to care for another person and to lift up Jesus? Don’t you think this world would be a better place if we let our light shine for all to see, so that others may see our good works and praise our Father in heaven? I do, and I am 1,000% sure it’s worth a try.
- What are some of the tasks or responsibilities you do at work that are not specifically outlined in your job description? How about at your church?
- What is one task, or way you could go the extra mile in serving someone today, whether that someone is a friend, a family member, or a coworker?
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