Family Memories: A Servant’s Heart
A while ago, my wife announced that Layla (7 years old) was “ready” for a new household chore. (These kinds of announcements are solemn in our house, for new responsibilities can be “dangerous” and must be met with courage and care.) She informed Layla that she was to clean the toilets that day. Layla could not believe what she was hearing and asked, “Are you really going to let me clean the toilets, Mom?!” Her mom assured her that the time had finally arrived and added that Layla was to learn the new trade from the best: her Abue (grandmother). Layla was ecstatic! That day, when I left my office and entered the house, I found her with gloves in hand, passionately scrubbing the toilets, and wearing a big smile on her face.
Sometimes I wish my teenage daughters were as excited about cleaning toilets (or cleaning at all, for that matter) as Layla is. Yet, I must confess that, even though I don’t usually mind doing that work, I hardly ever get excited about it myself. The truth is that, somewhere between childhood and the teen years, we lose the excitement for “dirty jobs.” Then we begin to see the world with different eyes, and the little, simple (even “dirty”) works of life lose their appeal, and with them we also lose a great part of the joy of servanthood.
As an irony to our adult, mature, and illuminated ways, the God of heaven came to earth and took the form of a bondservant (Philippians 2:7) to give us an example of true service, to restore our childhood vision, and to help us recover the joy our current tyranny has robbed from our lives.
When Jesus’s disciples fought to be the last to “scrub toilets” and the first to sit on golden thrones (Matthew 18:1), Jesus brought a little child and said, “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (vv. 2-3). There are many beautiful traits to emulate from children, and one of them is that they, due to their innocence, “ignorance,” or inclination (call it what you may), have a servant’s heart.
In a world that constantly teaches our young to be the first, to be the center of honor, glory, and attention, to seek happiness in popularity, beauty, and power, and to step on others to climb the ladder of worldly success, are we exemplifying and teaching our children how to have a servant’s heart? As we train them, let us never forget that no one gets to wear the crown of victory (2 Timothy 4:8) unless they have first girded themselves with the towel of service (John 13:1-17).
Published in Christian Family 11.1 (2026): 3.
