The Selfish Girl’s Guide to Servanthood #1- Jordan Christy┬á

#1 – You’re So Vain You Probably Thought this Blog Was About You┬á

I’ve never considered myself a good candidate for ministry because, let’s be honest, ministry requires….(cue the┬ádreaded,┬áominous crescendo)…

A servant’s┬áheart.

And I have a - oh, how shall I say this? Not a servant’s heart.

In fact, the phrase kind of gives me the creeps.

Why?

Well for starters, I like to shop. Not exactly a servant-compatible pastime.

Secondly, I like to get my hair done. Nothing servant-like about that, either.

And lastly, I love pedicures: the most self-indulgent of all spa services.

According to my moral handbook, these┬áshallow splurges┬áall fall┬ásquarely in the ΓÇ£selfish” category…right up there with celebrity gossip┬áand other entertainment-related abominations.

Well, I started feeling slightly guilty about all this and figured if God was going to use me I needed to ditch my narcissistic ways and get spiritual.

So, I gave away all my clothes, stopped┬ácoloring my hair, and didn’t do my nails for about 3 years. And guess what?

I was miserable.

I was truly the worst servant in the world. Instead of getting servant-heartier, I got crankier. And uglier. Think two-inch roots and postpartum sweatpants, folks.

It was then that God began to show me how being a servant didn’t necessarily mean giving up who I was – it simply meant giving myself┬áto Him.

ΓÇ£Oh, God, here I am, your servant, your faithful servant: set me free for your service!ΓÇ¥ ΓÇô Psalms 116:12-19 (The Message)

As I began to surrender my plans and my ways, God┬áshowed┬áme a bigger vision for my life. I could take┬álow-income women on┬áshopping┬ásprees. I could give makeovers to women who’d never felt beautiful. ┬áI could give someone else a pedicure for once.

Maybe, just maybe, God could use me and my vain, self-absorbed tendencies after all.

Maybe you, too, feel like you don’t quite fit the mold required for Kingdom work? Are you too mom-ish? Too old? Too pretty? Too sporty? If so, feel free to pray this prayer…

Dear God, You’re the One who created me, so you already know everything about me. You know my strengths, my flaws, my pride, my insecurities…please show me how you want to use me—every part of me—for your Kingdom. Amen.