Daniel 6:28 NKJV
[28] So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
It is said that when you serve people genuinely, they give you the keys to their heart. Serving brings promotion, and Daniel is a good example for us to learn from.
Daniel was a slave, captured from his nation when he was young and taken to a foreign land against his will. But even with that, he was so good and consistent at what he did that he served 5 kings. You would expect that, because of his circumstances, he would only do the bare minimum, but that was not Daniel’s attitude. His excellence gave testimony and recognition of the God he served.
Joseph is also another great example of consistency in serving. Whether in Potiphar’s house or the prison or the palace, Joseph served with excellence and others benefited from his service. You never see Daniel or Joseph complaining, they gave their all.
Think about this, as a child of God, an ambassador of heaven, one in whom the Holy Spirit abides, the same Spirit who created the world, how much more should you be excellent in all that you do? It was Martin Luther King Jr who said “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep the streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
How well do you serve and how consistent are you in your service? Today, finding people who are willing to serve others in the house of God is a challenge. Many will not lift a finger unless there is something in return for them. Is it not a wonder that statistics tell us that in many congregations, 10% of the people do 90% of the work?
The sad bit is that God has given each of his children a gift they should use to serve others, so none has an excuse. The question then is, are you part of the 10 or 90%?
Reflections
How do you feel when someone goes out of their way to serve you, and they do it with excellence?
What’s your attitude towards serving? Do you see it as a privilege or something those beneath you should do for you?
Who can you serve today, and how will you serve them?
