How a Servant Should Conduct Himself Within the Family

This lecture explains that true service cannot be divided between church and home, but rather begins first within the family, where the servant becomes a living example in behavior, love, and wisdom before being a teacher through words.

🕊 Core Spiritual Message

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III emphasizes that the most dangerous issue facing a servant is duality: appearing gentle and spiritual in church while being harsh or controlling at home. Service is not an external appearance, but a life that is lived.

Main Principles of a Servant’s Conduct Within the Family

1️⃣ Cooperation and Practical Service
A true servant serves his family through actions: participating in household tasks, helping with meals, and easing burdens, making the family love service rather than reject it.

2️⃣ Cheerfulness and Joy
Religion is joy, not gloom. A servant should spread an atmosphere of happiness at home through a smile and kind words, because the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace.

3️⃣ Respect and Humility
Respecting parents and siblings, young and old, is a sign of spiritual maturity. He does not rebuke, belittle, or speak arrogantly, but deals with gentleness and wisdom.

4️⃣ Wisdom, Not Literalism
The wise servant delivers God’s word without force or coercion, using indirect and gentle ways, so that others may love the truth freely, not through fear or pressure.

5️⃣ Success and Time Management
A servant’s success in study or work, and his respect for family responsibilities, make him a true role model. The family has a right to his time and effort just as service does.

6️⃣ Balance in Worship and Conduct
Even in worship and fasting, the servant must act wisely, without causing anxiety to his family or becoming a stumbling block, but rather maintaining balanced and constructive behavior.

Conclusion

A servant within the family is a living testimony to Christ, being a lesson before being a teacher, and a life that is seen before words that are spoken.

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