Thursday, March 16, 2006

A Servant's Heart

Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
What is a servant? I think that the answer, at least in part, is 'a person who puts the interests of others above his own.'This goes completely against our entire culture. Our culture today is turned inward- How can I better my life? What can I get that will make me happy? What about me? But this is not what the Bible teaches. We are called to be servants to one another. When we concentrate on Jesus, making Him the main focus in our lives, service will begin to flow naturally outward from us and into the lives of others.

  • Ephesians 6:7, "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men."
  • Galatians 5:13: "Serve one another in love."
  • 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
While I was thinking of an example that I could use to illustrate servitude, one woman came to mind immediately. This woman goes to my church, and her husband has recently passed away. While he was alive, he had numerous health problems that were very serious. His wife lovingly took care of him day after day... for ten years. I never heard her complaining or grumbling. Instead, she patiently and lovingly served her husband every day during the years of his illness. Especially during this past year, she was rarely able to leave the house because someone always needed to watch her husband, making sure that if anything went wrong someone would be there to help him or call 9-1-1. And yet she was not resentful. Here is a beautiful example of a true servant's heart! She did not place her own interests above those of her husband, but willingly sacrificed her time for him. Her example was Christ-like, and anyone who knew them could see it.

  • 1 Peter 4:10-11: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."
  • Galatians 6:9-10: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
  • 1 Peter 4:8-10: "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

Notice verse nine, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." I think that this is key in developing a true servant's heart. You can go through all the motions of servitude without having a servant's heart. You can wash the dishes with a sour look on your face, doing it only because you would get in trouble if you did not... Or you can wash the dishes with a smile, doing it cheerfully because you take joy in serving your mother. I myself can easily fall into the "serving grudgingly" category, and it is not true service--even if you offer it voluntarily.

I can remember very clearly one night last year, when my parents were discussing servitude at dinner. I felt convicted that I was failing miserably as a servant, and so I reluctantly decided that I would offer my help in the four-year-old class the next day at church. Even as I went to the four-year old-class Sunday morning, I was complaining inwardly. Ugh, I hate this. I just wish this would be over soon. These little kids don't even pay attention to me! They're always goofing off during class! I just wish I could be sitting in church instead. I was not serving at all.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service, and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity....The man who is cheerful in his service of God, proves that obedience is his element; he can sing, "Make me to walk in thy commands, 'Tis a delightful road."...Reader, let us put this question-do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master."

In Philippians 2:1-8, we see that Christ himself is the ultimate example of a servant's heart:
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!"
How can we cultivate a servant's heart like this? The answer is in verses three and four: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

This is not an easy thing to do! It will take practice. The woman who I used as an example did not become a servant overnight. She served her husband even before he was ever ill, thus cultivating the character trait. So what about you? Do you want to have a servant's heart? You can start practicing today. Train yourself to look for needs around you. Do you see your mom washing dishes? Ask her if she would like some help! Is your little sister struggling with a math problem? Offer to help her figure it out. When you begin to look for needs, you will start to see that they are all around you. Then reach out, and try to meet them.