This is a guest post from Dr. Ibrahim Barsoum - a longtime friend and mentor who has guest posted on my blog before.  In this post, he shares a beautiful meditation on what it means to be a disciple and a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you too are interested in guest posting on my blog, please visit my Guest Post guidelines for more info.

One day I sat at the pond and saw a beautiful, elegant, pure white swan sailing in a majestic way on the still water of a pond. She came in my direction and I was amazed at her beauty, elegance, and splendor.  She didn't make any noise but kept on sailing swiftly in the pond.

Suddenly, a batch of ducks invaded the pond.  I'm not sure if they were fighting each other or what, but they were quacking loudly and making so much noise.  They quickly disrupted the calmness and serenity of the quiet pond.  The swan did not mix with them; she passed them and went on her way.

After a while, the ducks came out of the pond and started eating the grass around the pond. The swan did not get out with them but kept sailing in the pond in her majestic way. She never mixed with the ducks. Later on, a nice lady brought food to the swan. The lady started calling her to come and gave her food to eat. She talked to her and the swan was happy to be in her company. After she was fed, the swan went back peacefully on her way. She lived alone in the midst of the noisy ducks.

This scene of the swan and the ducks in the pond reminded me of our life in this world.

The pond is the still water that God prepared for us to rest and to walk in His way (see Psalm 23).

The ducks are the people of this world - always noisy, talking too much and fighting with each other. They feed on earthly things and look only to the earth.

The swan is the child of God who is created in His image in beauty and purity of soul. She is elegant and majestic because she is a child of God.

Although the swan lives in the midst of the noisy ducks, she does not mix with them nor live a similar life. She does not feed from earthly things but God provides her with her needs. She does not talk too much but she is in constant fellowship with God. She is peaceful and does not fight with anyone, but goes on her own way shining the glory of God in her life.

Let us learn from this story that we are created in God’s image, beautiful and pure. Although we live in the world, let us never forget that we are not of this world.  Let us not waste our lives in meaningless talks and disputes like the noisy ducks, but live a peaceful life in fellowship with God. Let us not feed on earthly things like the ducks but feed on spiritual food from the word of God because “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Luke 4:4).

Let us imitate the swan in her beauty and purity because we are God’s children. Let us avoid noisiness and quacking like these ducks that lead only to dispute and animosity but meditate on the word of God and live by it.

For discussion: do you see yourself more like the ducks or more like the swan?  What can you do about that?