No Insignificant Jobs
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep 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.” – Martin Luther
We live in a CEO culture.
It seems that everybody wants to rise to the top, and rise to the top right now. We want to bypass the “lesser roles,” jump ahead of the process, and forsake the trenches.
There are a couple of problems with that. The first is that it short circuits the growth curve. Often times the best learning is at the bottom. We learn responsibility, patience, and what it means to serve, even if that means serving with no recognition.
The other problem is that we equate less-recognized jobs with less-important jobs, as if our worth is attached to our title. If the word “Executive” doesn’t land somewhere on our business card, we feel as though our life hasn’t measured up.
But therein lies the question: measured up to what? To a title? To a position? To a sense of power?
No, the measure of a servant lies in how they cultivate faithfulness right where they are. Whether you’re a street sweeper or a surgeon, are you serving out of a sense of pride, or out of a humble dependence on the God who created you?
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. – Psalm 37:3
As a young adult learning about the caste system in places like India, I was always appalled at the nature of humans to accept and tolerate this type of thing throughout time. In my beliefs, a person is worthy based on how they treat and serve others, regardless of how it is done. Luther says it just right.
I LOVE this!! Amen, amen, amen! And what a role model we have in Jesus…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who took on flesh and stepped down from His heavenly home into darkness and sin. He became the suffering servant who washed feet and gave His perfect life for the ugly sinner that we are. Oh what depths of humility…may we all be more like Jesus!!