Stewardship, service at heart of good living

On a recent radio broadcast of the Wasilla “Mayor’s Minute,” I spoke about stewardship and that being the notion of personal responsibility and service. Every day and in every way we are all called on to do something for someone or some other thing. Whether it’s cooking dinner, taking out the trash, going to work or mowing a lawn, everything and everybody needs some personal care and attention.

When taking care of everyday business, getting a proper perspective on just what and how to do the things we have to do takes forethought and planning. Certainly, we could ignore our obligations or merely run through them in a slipshod manner. But is that the appropriate approach? As singer-songwriter Bob Dylan lyrically set to music, “Everybody’s got to serve somebody.” The theme, in essence, is that of stewardship.

All of us in our daily walk, whether it’s on the job, with our families or with neighbors and friends, practice some type of stewardship. Most people when presented with the notion that they are someone’s servant chaff at that notion. But that is merely the perception through the use of the word.

The approach to that notion of service is to agree that, yes, I have the personal responsibility to do the task and do it as well as I am able. Persons in public service, especially in elected positions, should be mindful of what they promise and carry through with deliberate intent to meet the obligations they actually have set for themselves.

So the same with all of us, whether we are public employees, soldiers, sales people, mechanics, moms and dads and even kids being taught how to be responsible with their toys and chores, are practicing stewardship. We are all servants and should put in second place the idea of “what’s in it for me?”

That’s not to say that taking care of oneself is bad, which is stewardship and service to self. But in order to accomplish all of the things it takes to make a city, state, nation or functioning society is the way we set priorities in working with others.

The concept of stewardship is linked to sustainability — sustainability in all aspects of our lives as an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of the resources entrusted to us. Those being our environment, economic well-being, health, property and information, and for many, their religion.

As the bard Bobby Dylan said, “They may call you doctor or they may call you chief … but you’re gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the devil (we hope not), or it may be the Lord, but you gonna have to serve.” So life goes, but just remind yourself that whatever your role may be, do the best you can, do what you do with pride and a clear mind and with the knowledge that you did your best at being a steward and servant. Just think about it. Everybody’s got to serve somebody. It’s what keeps us together.

Verne Rupright has been mayor of Wasilla since 2008.