Service is a value that sits within the top two or three for my family. Both my husband and I were brought up in families that focused on serving within the home as well as outside the home. The great thing about serving others is we learn so many other priceless values at the same time.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) put out a pamphlet titled “10 Ways to Teach Values in the Home.” In the section under “Serve with Your Family” we read:
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Service doesn’t have to be hard, yet it can yield innumerable blessings.
While your children are young look to helping them find ways to serve other family members. It’s amazing how much our attitude about a sibling or parent can change when we try to serve them. Part of what helps connect my own kids is working on service projects together. Whether it’s a group effort to clean rooms, helping with homework, or working out in the yard, the more they work together the better they seem to get along in the long run.
Look outside the home for service opportunities. Our little home is surrounded by other little homes. I’ve lived in it for just over 11 years now, yet it wasn’t until after I’d been here at least five years that I began to really know my neighbors. Though we’d smile and wave in passing, there was nary a word passed between us except for my neighbors to the north. Though I love getting to know people, I’m very shy by nature and hate to make the first move. This can become a problem when the other person is much the same way.
One particular winter we had a vicious snowstorm come through. For two days the stream of white flakes refused to let up, and my husband and I began to run out of dry socks, shoes and coats as we repeatedly headed outside to keep up with the piling snow. It didn’t help that the power was out, either.
About halfway through Saturday we’d managed to keep up with our house and the neighbor’s to the north (we didn’t want them out in it too much as they were in their 70’s). That’s when we began to look at the houses around us. With an almost unspoken agreement we each headed to our neighboring houses and began to dig them all out. This one (backbreaking) act opened up the lines of communication on all sides. Since then they’ve become more like family.
Beyond shoveling snow we like to bring them food. A big joke in our house is when leftovers go into the fridge they don’t come back out until you can’t really tell what they used to be. So rather than waste the food, we take it to some of our neighbors. One particular woman can’t cook too often because her hands hurt, so getting something homemade is a treat for her and her husband. I usually have one of my kids take the food over so they can see just how much it’s appreciated.
Along with giving service, don’t be afraid to accept it as well. Allow your children to see that being served can also bring great blessings. I recall the year we needed to have a weeping willow tree cut down in our backyard. The Boy Scouts in our ward (congregation) made us a service project. It would have cost us thousands of dollars to have someone do what they did.
Look at your child’s talents and help them to find ways to use these gifts to serve others. Using their natural talents will help them realize serving others can be easy. Cooking comes easily to me therefore my children see that giving a little service doesn’t have to be hard. Yet shoveling is not my favorite thing in the world, so my children also know that sometimes it’s important to push beyond our natural abilities.
Above all stress how important giving service was to the Lord.
“…Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).
And again we read in the Book of Mormon – another testament of Christ:
“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).
Service is a value to be treasured. It is one of the most direct ways to show the pure love of Christ. I can testify that one of the best things you can teach your children is to serve their fellow man.
