Do for Others

Have you ever said to someone, “He’s a real piece of work?” If you did, you were probably making a derogatory comment about the person.

In our lives we encounter people who are real pieces of works. Perhaps it’s the person who will say or do anything to get to the top, be it at work or in the church. He or she will step on anyone to get to their final destination—the top. If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve encountered one or more of these folks.

In the different professions I’ve worked in over the years, I’ve experienced these kinds of people. They seem to have no soul. They have no value for the lives of others or the quality of lives of others. It’s all about them.

When I was in either middle school or high school, our school choir sang at a church. I think I remember the speaker’s name, but I am not for sure, so I won’t use his name. Nevertheless, I will share with you his message that evening.

Forty years later, I wonder how many of my fellow students remember the message he preached after we sang. His message was this: I am somebody; you are somebody; we are somebody. It was definitely not a message about being a piece of work and stepping on others to get to the top. It was about the fact that in God’s eyes we are all important.

There is no one better than each of us and there is no one less than us in the eyes of God. We are all His children. That is what is important to him. He created us; He knew us before we were born. He knows us today. Each and everyone one of us is so important to him, even when we fall or fail in life. He is there to pick us up, forgive us, and restore us, if only we allow Him.

Maybe you have been a piece of work and have stepped on others over the years. Perhaps you have been the one that others have loathed over the years because of your treatment of them. You told lies about others to make yourself look better. You exaggerated your qualifications, which were woefully below the qualifications of others, to get to the top. All that has mattered in your life is you.

Recently my pastor encouraged us to think beyond this kind of mentality. This year the theme at our church is others. One word makes all the difference—others.

As we in our local church seek to make ministry intentionally about others, I invite you to do likewise. For a change, place self to the side and think of words or actions you can share with others to make their lives a little happier this year.

Don’t be a real piece of work, be a real piece of ministry—do for others this year and make a difference in their lives.