Three Reasons Servants Are Happier People
There is a woman I know who does nothing but serves others. Every time I see her, she is helping or offering to help others. I am amazed at her energy and her constant giving. She is always in a good mood!
Who are the biggest servants you know? I am talking about the people who never stop giving of themselves. They may be leaders with a title. They may be someone without a title. Picture them in your mind.
Now I ask you, how often have you seen that person have a bad attitude or even a bad day?
Servants Are Happier
Three Reasons Servants Are Happier People
1. They Think Differently
The real servants in the world think differently. They do not allow their negative thoughts to get a foothold. The world is a negative place. If I am not careful, I can drown in the negativity I hear from others, I see on the news or I witness on the streets.
The servant sees possibilities instead of consequences. They view tough situations as an opportunity to grow. They don’t blame the circumstances and give up. Neither do they ignore the circumstances. They confront them and learn. What others may complain about, they see as an opportunity to get better.
Our thoughts control our words leading us to take action. If my thoughts are consistently negative, my words and my actions will be as well. The servant thinks differently and therefore speaks and acts differently.
2. They Believe Differently
The servants I know believe they can make a difference. At times my bad attitude takes over when I see a problem that seems too big for me to fix.
I look at the issue and convince myself that I can have no control or influence and throw my hands up in surrender. When I feel helpless, my attitude dives right into the pit.
The servants I know never let the size of a problem stop them. Poverty, disease, or poisonous corporate cultures don’t stop them. They believe in a different code:
What I can’t do for all, I can do for one!
Imagine how many of the BIG issues in life would be different if we all lived by this code?
Think back on a time when you selflessly helped someone. Were you happier afterwards? Servants believe differently. They take action and help people even in the face of an enormous problem, and they are happier as a result.
3. They Act Differently
Bad attitudes are usually the result of self-pity. When I fall into a bad attitude, I am usually focused on how circumstances out of my control are affecting me. I become absorbed with how the world is impacting me.
We can all fall into this trap. Sadly, for some people it is a regular event. But, a bad attitude can come on like a wave and pull us all down. Soon we are drowning in our own self-pity.
Servants focus on the needs of others, not on their own desires. That can be difficult if we are going through some real trials in our lives. But, for a lot of us the trials in our lives pale in comparison to what other people are dealing with.
Whether you consistently find yourself in the pit of self-pity or fall into it periodically, I believe we can all learn from that selfless servant we all know. We must act!
We must start serving. Who can I make better today? Who can I help without expecting anything in return? We can act our way into feeling.
If we begin to act like a servant, we will begin to feel differently. We will begin to see our circumstances differently and our attitudes will change.
The Bottom Line:
Servants think differently, believe differently and act differently. They are different. I do not believe God made them differently. I believe they make choices daily to be different.
My Dad, General Jim Anderson always told me as a teenager, “Your attitude is a choice. You need to make a different choice.” I believe the servants we all know have made a different choice.
The choices we make in how we think, what we believe, and how we act do more to determine our attitudes than any circumstance life can throw at us.
If you don’t believe me, answer this question: What is different about the cheerful cancer patient, the positive wounded warrior, or the selfless servant who just lost a child?
I believe they make different choices. They choose to think differently, believe differently and act differently.
Question:
Do you believe servants make different choices than others?
Being a servant leader does not mean being a martyr. Nor can they be compared to Mother Teresa. The servant leaders I aspire to be like have a great handle on who they are and who they want to be. And they steadfastedly hold on to that priority. Regardless of any other circumstances. They know that they are only as good, as strong, as successful as those they lead. So they do whatever it takes, whenever it takes, to help them be good, strong and successful. While I recognize there are other types of leaders and that they can also be influential and successful – the servant leader can be proud of what they did to get where they are and they leave a legacy that others will aspire to long after they have left this earth.
I agree with all that you said there Terry. I especial like your last statement. It is powerful!
Dave, I very much enjoy reading your posts. Your thoughts on attitude strikes a chord with me because attitudes are contagious. Sometimes, mine just might… well, you’ve seen the poster.
On a serious note, though, service above self is the key to happiness. So many examples of happy people doing small things with great love abound in our midst. The happiest people in my life are those who live to serve others (and in turn, the Lord). I’ve learned to see these things and am passing this skill on to my children.
No Task Too Great!
That is exactly where I come at it from as well Dave.
I find it interesting to find Christians who live without joy. Many of those people live without serving as well.