There was a man named Lee Russell who recorded a song in the 1960s called “Good Morning Lord”. It is a simple song, but it highlights a wonderful sentiment that we ought to have in our Christian walk. Here is the first verse of the song,
Good morning Lord, Good morning Lord,
What can I do for You today?
Where can I start to do my part,
To help someone along the way?
So often, people approach God with an attitude of “What can you do for me today, God?” They have a need and turn to God. Now, there is certainly nothing wrong with that, and God should be the one we turn to for our needs. He is merciful and loving and delights in our prayers. However, that should not be the focus of our Christian walk.
Jesus Christ shared an interesting truth with his disciples related to the topic of service. The disciples were arguing about who should have the highest position among them. Jesus told them,
Mark 10:44, 45
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
He told them that anyone who seeks a high position must be willing to be the greatest servant. Unlike the secular world, where position generally means being served by many, Jesus Christ’s teaching on leadership was the exact opposite. Jesus was their master, and even he said that he did not come to be served, but to serve. In the end, he gave the ultimate price to serve others by giving his life a ransom for many.
Mr. Russell’s song echoes this exact sentiment. You wake up in the morning, and if you are like most, you have a host of tasks you need to accomplish that day. However, before you review all the things that you want to achieve, how about pausing for a brief moment?
“Good morning Lord. Good morning. What can I do for you today? How can I do my part? How can help someone along the way?”
Your day might just end up being a whole lot different from what you expected.