Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Spirit of service

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Canvas reproduces a Teacher’s Day write-up by Nomiwell Rynjah

FROM PAST ages it has always been believed that a master had his place as a master, and a servant would accordingly act merely as a servant. A servant works for the wages that is paid for his service, but a master would spend his time and energy to be a success in whatever he does. In the Bible, Jesus Christ had said “the hired servant, who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away”. Often, we find that a servant waits for instructions from his master, and performs his duty as per the instruction that he receives from his master. However there have been instances when a servant, even a slave, was not satisfied with mere performance of duties, but makes an effort to do the work well and even bring prosperity, even though he may not benefit from it. Joseph, a slave under his master, Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, performed his duties so diligently, that he was promoted to the rank of supervisor over his house. Indian history has many instances of slaves rendering valuable service for the kings who ruled over them, and were favourably rewarded by them.

In the present day, the word service does not only imply serving under another individual, but it means serving for the government, any other organization, or even serving for the benefit of others. Jesus Christ in the Bible had said “I have come not to be served but to serve others” therefore he lived his life serving others. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, spent a lot of his time serving others in different capacities. Dr. Livingstone, with a spirit of service and compassion, had devoted his life to serve the sick and those in pain in a far off continent of Africa. In India too, we have people who have come from different countries, to provide aid and help to our fellow men, without expecting anything in return.

We look around us today, and feel frustrated to find that people do not take their work seriously or in performing their duties in a proper way. We may even say that the work they do is not worthy of the wages that they are paid. When the responsibilities shed on us are not taken seriously, how can we expect progress?

Today is Teacher’s Day, and teachers are respectfully addressed as ‘Sir’ or “Madam” but we must remember that we are serving others. We render our service by Imparting education, bringing up individuals, moulding their character, and uplifting the society, in any small way that we can. We have to realize this and not take our work for granted, as this can only lead to a future with no hope. Taking our jobs for granted not only wastes our time, but the precious time of the students whom we are teaching, besides setting a very bad example. The wise King Solomon had said “train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it”. Teachers are often called the builders of the nation, and this would be true if they really use their knowledge and God given talent, to bring up a child in the right way. It cannot be denied that the family too has a role to play in contributing towards the betterment of the child. The reward that a teacher receives, besides his salary is the joy and contentment to see someone whom he has taught, achieve success, recognition and standing in society, besides helping others.

Pandit Nehru, in his public speeches had always urged upon people to work hard and diligently, in whatever capacity they are doing. Individual development as well a progressive society requires hard work and honesty. It is this quality that helped countries like Japan achieve large scale development, and countries like France and Germany who were devastated after the Second World War, could rebuild themselves and become great nations, only through hard work. The freedom that we received will bear no fruit, if people do not work hard and actually feel the need for the ‘Spirit of Service’.

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