Episode 1163: Taking the Time to Serve Others Well

[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: Thanks for joining me on episode 1,163 of the inspired stewardship podcast.

[00:00:06] Ellen Goodwin: I'm Ellen Goodwin. I challenge you to invest in yourself, invest in others, develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talent and your treasures to live out your calling. Having the ability to get the real work done is key. And one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this, the inspired stewardship podcast with my friend, Scott Maderer.

[00:00:32] Scott Maderer: And that's allowing yourself to be served, allowing yourself to be served by the people around you, both those that you think can serve you as well as those that you don't, those that you are serving.

[00:00:48] Welcome and thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your [00:01:00] time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling in the inspired stewardship podcast, who will learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that you can impact the world.

[00:01:15] In today's episode about investing in others by stewarding your time. I talk with you about why we often don't take the time to serve. I share five ways that we can actually take the time to serve others. also share why allowing the time to serve is I. As we talk about stewarding your time.

[00:01:35] Wouldn't it be great. If you could support this podcast and do it without just taking too long, turns out you can't. All you have to do is use inspired stewardship.com/amazon. When you're ready to make a purchase via Amazon and a small commission will come back to support the show. Just that quick. If you enjoy the show, when you're ready to buy from Amazon, just use inspired [00:02:00] stewardship.com/.

[00:02:01] Oftentimes when we're given the opportunity to serve or help others, even in little ways, we don't take it. Sometimes we're just too busy. We just aren't paying attention. Sometimes we think that the help that we would give might actually cause more harm than good. Sometimes that may even be true.

[00:02:23] Sometimes we just. Are so busy living our own life and paying attention to what's going on and what we need and what problems we have that we don't notice any of the opportunities that come. And I'm not talking just big opportunities. I'm not talking about going on mission trips or doing sort of big events.

[00:02:46] I'm sometimes talking about even just the small events of taking a moment to pray for someone maybe. Giving a small dollar or $2 or buying a meal for a homeless person, [00:03:00] maybe stepping out and volunteering to spend some time at a nursing home or at a youth center reading or spending time with people.

[00:03:12] Even the small things are often too big for us to do, but there. A few things that you can begin to think about. If you want to begin to notice and spend the time and do a good job of serving others. Even though sometimes these five simple things can be difficult, challenging, and inconvenient. The first is we have.

[00:03:41] Change our frame or our way of thinking about what it is. We have to recognize that we, in those relationships, we are acting as a servant, not as a savior. We have to dignify the people that we serve and let ourselves [00:04:00] come down. We have to not have an agenda of letting it be used to build us. But rather serve out of humility and out of a sense that we're called to do this and it doesn't do it for us that we're truly doing this for the person or event or thing that we're serving as part of that.

[00:04:26] That means that we need to also take time out, to listen all too. We come into the situation and we think we know what the other person needs. We think we know what the solution is and our job is to show up and give it to them. We're the one with all the answers in the situation. After all this other person is in trouble, they're hurting, they need help.

[00:04:52] So obviously we know better than them. And yet often taking the time out to listen [00:05:00] and being intentional does two things. One, it builds relationship and trust with the other person. And two, it actually gives you the opportunity to learn more about what is really needed in the situation. And sometimes the help you give in terms of building a ramp or doing some sort of service event, it's even more important to actually spend the time talking and listening with the person.

[00:05:30] you need to learn number three to care. I know that sounds overly simplistic and sounds like of course I care. That's why I'm helping. But oftentimes we, again come into the event with an unwritten agenda. We come in with the idea of coming in and saying, I know how to help as opposed to asking how can I help.

[00:05:57] we sometimes don't [00:06:00] take the actions, even the small ones that let other people know that we care buying a cup of coffee for someone sitting down and spending 30 minutes talking to someone, maybe actually finding and doing those things that are needed in the community around you, taking the time to do.

[00:06:24] Actually allows us to show that we care because spending our time is one of the most precious resources we have. You also have to recognize that odds are really good. Whatever you do is not the whole solution. You're not gonna cure all of the ills. You're not gonna fix all of the hurt. In fact, often.

[00:06:50] Knowing that we serve others and taking comfort in that service allows us to recognize and open up the possibility of [00:07:00] both other services and other servants, as well as showing and opening people up to the love of God in a way that allows them to be healed deeper than we ever could. And this last one is the one that's the most difficult for me.

[00:07:19] And that's allowing yourself to be served, allowing yourself to be served by the people around you, both those that you think can serve you as well as those that you don't, those that you are serving. Recognize that even in those relationships, by opening yourself up to listen by communicating, by building relationships, you actually are being served as well.

[00:07:49] And you have to open yourself up to that. I've actually had a few opportunities where I've had a calling or had [00:08:00] a moment put on my heart to help somebody. In terms of giving them money or buying them a meal or other things. And I've been told by people around me, sometimes all you're doing is making the situation worse and it's possible.

[00:08:14] Maybe I am, but it doesn't matter if you sit down and have a conversation sometimes with somebody who's in a situation. that you haven't found yourself in. It makes you realize that at the end of the day, no matter what is happening, we're all children of God. We're all people who have a small spark of God within us.

[00:08:42] And when you do that, it makes you realize that serving everyone is so important. To our own healing, to our own health, to our own spiritual journey as well. Thanks [00:09:00] for listen.

[00:09:00] Thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you like this episode on the stewardship of time, be sure to sign up for our stewardship of time tips series by going to inspired stewardship.com/time or texting 4, 4, 2, 2 time tips.

[00:09:38] And that'll get you our best tips on stewarding your time until next time invest your. Your talent and your treasures develop your influence and impact the world.