Serving in the Kingdom

We all our given opportunities to serve in the Lord's Kingdom.  Some of them are visible and others are unknown to most members.  General Authorities, Stake Presidents and Bishops have highly visible callings.  Serving Sunday School or Primary callings are much less visible.  Yet the common thing about the callings is that they are both callings to serve.

A highly visible calling just means there are more people to serve.  It does not mean the person is more favored of the Lord.  Perhaps that is why women of the church are usually not the ones who complain about not having the priesthood.  They recognize that the priesthood is a call to serve, not a badge of worldly honor, glory or the ability to tell others what to do.  And women are also given the opportunity to serve.

Most General Authorities were once Stake Presidents and Bishops, however,  most former Stake Presidents and Bishops are serving as Sunday School teachers, Primary workers, Young Men leaders or other quiet callings in the ward.  The same type of callings that most of the women have in the church.

In the world we are taught the object is to move up in our position.  The higher up we move the more power, glory and money we can obtain.  In the Kingdom that is not so.  The Lord does not care what our calling is.  He only cares what we do with our calling.  And not just with our calling but with our personal life.

In the world we spend our time being judged and judging our performance compared to others.  In the Kingdom it is not so.  The Lord judges us based on our own knowledge, understanding and abilities regardless of what others do.  The Spirit instructs us on a personal level also and tolerates our errors individually.  Mistakes that would drive the Spirit away from one person will be tolerated in another.  We are only compared with our understanding and abilities and what the Lord expects of us.

My mother had a poem in her scrap book that I read many times growing up.

 

"Father, were shall I work today?"

And my love flowed warm and free.

Then he pointed out a tiny spot

And said, "Tend that for me."

I answered quickly, "Oh no not that!

Why, no one would ever see,

No matter how will my work was done.

Not that little place for me."

And the word he spoke, it was not stern;

He answered me tenderly:

"Ah, little one, search that heart of thine;

Art thou working for them or me?

Nazareth was a little place,

And so was Galilee."

—Meade MacGuire

 

Let us each do our best to serve in the Lord's Kingdom in what ever calling he has given us.