I’m a service provider. I write copy for people who want to sell products and services using the written word. Perhaps you are a service provider, too. Or perhaps you sell products of some kind. Either way, it doesn’t matter. This post will still be relevant to you.
Based on a number of posts I’ve been reading on friends’ and colleagues’ blogs, I’ve been thinking a lot about how important it is to treat people right. It does not matter if you’re trying to sell something or not. It just makes sense to follow the golden rule: treat others how you would like to be treated.
One time a lawyer challenged Jesus by asking him what the greatest law was. He wanted to see which law (of hundreds) was more important than all the rest. Jesus’ response was interesting…
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
How many times do we actually love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Usually, we are interested only in loving ourselves. But this is a recipe for failure. As King Solomon wrote, “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
It is interesting to me that total freedom is held up as a desirable goal for a business person. I take a different approach. I enjoy helping people. I think my life would be diminished if I were not contributing to other people’s lives in some way… if I were not being of service.
Almost everything you do is a form of service–both to yourself and others. This blog post is a service to my readers. The copy I write is a service to my clients. The special report I sell about how to get copywriting clients provides a service to aspiring copywriters. Etc.
I encourage you to think in terms of service–even if you sell a product. How are you serving others? How can you demonstrate the heart of a servant? How can you treat others the way you would like to be treated? Something to think about.
-Ryan M. Healy
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5 comments ↓
I agree, Ryan. Don’t we all love it when the store/restaurant manager, the school principal, or some other top authority figure steps in when some lower-ranking individual drops the ball? Gotta love it when you see the top guy or gal cleaning up the yuckiest mess, especially if it’s an actual, physical mess. THAT is a servant’s heart.
Lisa - Great illustration. Taking responsibility for another person’s mistake… taking the blame… and then doing what’s necessary to make it right. Indeed, that is a servant’s heart.
It isn’t one or the other though Ryan.
The only way too freedom is through service.
You mention Solomon. Was he not the most free man the world has even known? Was he not the richest man the world has ever known? Was he not the greatest server the world has ever known? He made his riches and his freedom through service!
The path to freedom is service! It isn’t one or the other.
However, Solomon (nor I very often) would take the responsibility for another person’s mistake. That is not wise (Solomon’s forte) and is not the path to freedom or service. That is doing a great dis-service to the one who made the mistake.
In 12 step circles, people who believe that “helping” entails taking away the consequences of the loved ones in their life as enablers, co-dependents, alanons or the “skipped generation.” For every alcoholic or drug addict in the world, there is a spouse or parent who took this part in the belief that they were doing service.
There are 12 step programs for those people just like there are 12 step programs for the actual alcoholics and addicts. That condition is just as destructive to a persons life and those around them as alcoholism and addiction itself.
Solomon’s greatness started with wisdom and learning what true service meant. Jesus quote that you used obviously also captured that.
-James D. Brausch
Hi James - Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your point that it doesn’t have to be either/or. You can be a servant and still find freedom.
You said: “Was he not the greatest server the world has ever known?” I believe Jesus was the greatest servant the world has ever known, not Solomon.
Like you, I agree at times it is not good to take responsibility for other’s mistakes. For instance, I have some family members still living off their parents. It’s gone on for a long time. I personally believe the parents should cut off all financial support and make the children grow up. The parents have become “enablers.”
But sometimes I feel it’s appropriate to take the blame and make things right. Imagine the CEO of a company blaming his employees for a poor quarter of earnings. Or a football coach cutting down his players for a poor effort on the field. It’s not right. The CEO or coach needs to take responsibility.
If a CEO or coach takes the blame (publicly), it does not mean he won’t correct the individuals later (privately). In other words, you can take the blame without becoming an “enabler.”
Ultimately, we must develop the discernment to know when we should take the blame and when we should not.
Ryan, I agree with this one brother. It’s one of the main ways Christians in business make themselves different over the world.
The world says “Use up clients, toss em to the side, suck em dry of all the money.”
As Christians we must take a service approach. How can we help and be salt and light.
Very well done
Matt
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