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The Joy of Being a Servant
The World Book Dictionary (Remember World Books? Jodi and I still have a set.) defines a servant as a person employed in a household; a person employed by someone or others; a person devoted to any service. In today’s world we hear a lot about servitude, but it is often rare to observe it in true action. Often what we call service is only done with the intent of getting something in return. That something might be a paycheck, a raise in pay, or a public “atta boy”. After all, everyone, in some way, wants to be acknowledged for their “good” deeds. I suggest that the Bible servant serves expecting nothing in return but to glorify God. Strangely enough that level of quiet service to others generally brings about a much higher level of joy and contentment to the servant than any amount of money or public acknowledgment. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, described it this way: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds (service) before men to be seen of them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets that they may have the glory from men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you” (Matthew 6: 1-4).
I doubt that anyone would argue against the concept that the most knowledgeable individual on a particular product is the designer and maker of that product. For example, no one knows more about the automobile you drive than the manufacturer of that automobile. They know all the things that make the vehicle operate at its highest and most efficient level. They even produce a guide book (the owners manual), that describes in detail how everything works and how to keep it operating at it’s best. Things like the type of fuel to use, the type of oil, when to change the oil , how to properly rotate the tires, etc. Those of us who have spent our hard earned money to purchase that automobile and desire for it a long life of “service” would do very well to heed the advice of that carefully prepared service manual.
Man is a lot like that automobile, except God is his designer and creator. No one knows man better than God. He knows those things that allow man to operate at his most efficient and highest level. The Creator knows what provides man true happiness and those things that lead to true misery. Thankfully, just like the automobile maker, God has provided man a guide book , the Bible, which tells him how to live a long fulfilling life of true happiness. Just like the car owner’s manual, the Bible tell us what we should seek and what we should avoid, what we should put on and what we should put off. One of those attributes we are called to put on is the attitude of a servant.
Contrary to public opinion which suggest that the “happy and successful” man is the one with wealth and the one being served, God says the truly happy and successful man is the one who chooses the lowly path of serving others and thereby serving God. Luke 22: 24ff, which takes place on the night of Christ’s betrayal, is a prime example of man’s thinking verses God’s thinking. Recall that the apostles were disputing about who was the “greatest.” During that story, Jesus reminds them that they are not to think like the world. They were not to lord over others but on ‘the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. He immediately follows that command with a personal and very physical example of the concept he was trying to convey to them. Christ, the very Son of God, through whom and by whom everything was made (John 1:1-4), girded his waist with a cloth and stooped to wash the apostles feet, a task reserved in the time of Christ for the lowliest of servants. At the end of this act of true service, he tells them “a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” Jesus demonstrated the ultimate example of a true servant by giving his own perfect life for the sins of the world (John 3:16). Thus, as a follower of Christ, A Christian, we have been called to be servants in the household of God. Employed by God to follow the example of his beloved Son and our Savior to serve others as he served us. Are you serving or waiting to be served?
Make a commitment today to become a servant in God’s kingdom. Place yourself at the disposal of others and find the joy of being the servant that God made you to be. You will be glad you did!
