The servant in the family
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the topic “the servant in the family” and highlights the contradiction in the behavior of some servants between what they appear to be in public ministry and what they do inside their homes.
Main idea
The true servant must be a servant inside his family as he is a servant in the church: cooperative, humble, wise, and loving, not authoritarian and not of double personality.
How the servant should be inside the family — practical practices
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Cooperation with the household in daily tasks (making the bed, helping prepare food, cleaning dishes).
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Cheerfulness and joy: to be a source of delight and love, not to make the home weep or fear with your religious manner.
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Respect for everyone: addressing parents and siblings kindly and not hurting anyone’s feelings.
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Wisdom in presenting religion: do not be literalist or Pharisaic before the family; present Christ with wisdom and gentleness and by example, not by coercion.
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Organizing time: arrange service times so that the family receives its rights and is not neglected for the sake of service alone.
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Worship with wisdom: prayer and Bible reading in a family atmosphere if possible, while considering the family’s health and circumstances.
Desirable personal traits
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Moderate personal strength: not violence but a respectable firmness combined with gentleness.
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Social openness: be open and kind, not withdrawn; laugh appropriately and do not become a laughingstock.
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Balance: do not impose order by force but be a witness to the truth by persuasion.
Spiritual summary
The successful servant is one who builds an example at home by practical life and virtues, builds others by the example of his life before being a teacher by words.
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