Serving in ISKCON is a great blessing. We get the opportunity to serve Krishna, Guru and the Vaishnavas. But sometimes, very quietly, our service can also become a source of ego.
Initially, we think, “Krishna has given me this seva.” But when people start appreciating us, asking for our help, or giving us important responsibilities, we may slowly start thinking, “I am important here.”
And then comes the real test.
If someone does not ask us, if our name is not mentioned, if another devotee gets the responsibility we wanted, or if our seva is not appreciated, we may feel hurt.
“Why didn’t they ask me?” “I do so much seva.” “Why was someone else given this opportunity?”
This is where we need to look within.
Bhakti is not about becoming important in the eyes of devotees. It is about becoming a sincere servant of Krishna.
The Srimad Bhagavatam repeatedly shows us the beauty of humility in a devotee. The more we progress in bhakti, the less we should need recognition from others.
A simple question can help us:
“If nobody appreciated my seva, would I still be happy to do it?”
If the answer is yes, we are growing in the right direction.
And if the answer is no, we don’t have to feel guilty. We simply need to understand that Krishna is showing us where our attachment lies.
Today we may be needed. Tomorrow someone else may be needed. Today we may be appreciated. Tomorrow we may not even be noticed.
But our identity remains the same:
I am Krishna’s servant.
Seva is not our achievement. Seva is Krishna’s mercy upon us.
And perhaps the real success of seva is not that people start saying, “How wonderful you are,” but that, slowly, our heart starts saying, “Krishna, please keep me as Your servant.”
