The Problem with Being a Servant

Reading the Scriptures, we find a number of terms for identifying people we commonly refer to as “Christians.” Among them are “children of God” (1 John 3:1), “sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3), “followers of Jesus” (Luke 22:49), “saints” (Philippians 1:1), and “believers” (James 2:1). Each of those individually is deserving of discussion, but one term we don’t hear spoken nearly as much is “servants.”

 

One reason it’s not used as frequently is probably because, after all, doesn’t being called a servant sound demeaning? If we believe what the Bible says, the answer to this question is both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ 

 

Consider Mark 10:45, in which Jesus Himself declared, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Imagine that! The Son of God – God incarnate – determining not to demand the honor and position that He truly deserved. Instead, He assumed the role of a servant, doing things like shunning earthly comforts, ministering to outcasts, healing the sick, miraculously feeding thousands, riding a lowly donkey into Jerusalem, and dying on a cross to atone for sins He did not and could not commit.

Following Jesus’ example, His followers used the same term for themselves. The apostle Paul opened his letter to the church in Philippi with, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1). He started the book of Romans the same way: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus….” 

 

The apostle Peter asserted the same, opening his second New Testament letter with, “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:1). The apostle James referred to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

 

But what does that have to do with us? Actually, it has everything to do with us. In the gospel of John we read of Jesus performing the demeaning task of washing His disciples’ feet, truly the role of a hired servant. When He was finished He told them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).

 

Ah, but this is easier said than done, right? We enjoy being served – whether it’s at a restaurant or having someone perform some necessary service for us. But when the tables are turned, figuratively if not literally, not so much.

 

My friend Ken in Omaha, Neb., in one of his brief weekly email reflections, made these observations about serving and servanthood:

“You’ll know you are a servant – when you are treated like one. I want people to view me as a good servant of God. I want folks to be impressed with my self-sacrificing commitment to the Lord and to others…. But that’s not the mark of a real servant.

 

“A true servant is in the shadows, invisible, never drawing attention to self, simply knowing and anticipating and meeting the desire of the master.”

 

Genuine servanthood – being a servant to God and others – isn’t optional for Christ followers. It’s part of the job description. Paul exhorted believers in ancient Ephesus, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7). He presented essentially the same admonition in Colossians 3:17-23 for believers in ancient Colossae. 

 

As my friend Ken said, you’ll know you’re a servant when you’re treated like one. When someone of greater importance or position arrives and you’re directed – not politely asked – to perform acts of service and after you’ve done so, you’re not shown the gratitude and appreciation you feel you deserve.

 

At such times we need to remember and follow the example of the Lord Jesus, who humbly announced that He “did not come to be served but to serve.” If Jesus was okay with that, shouldn’t we be?

Beauty of Leading Through Serving

Do you know what sport Jesus played? I can’t confirm it, but I have a strong suspicion He played tennis. Because in Mark 10:45, Jesus declared, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve….” And in John 14:3, He said to watch out for His return.

Okay, that’s an example of taking the Scriptures out of context, even twisting a word or two. But throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, serving clearly was a high priority for Him – except not in the tennis sense of the word. Repeatedly in the gospel accounts we see Jesus serving others in one way or another – turning water into wine at a wedding feast; giving sight to the blind, enabling the lame to walk, healing the sick and raising people from the dead; casting out demons; intervening when people were in trouble. 

This is not what Jesus meant when He talked
of coming to serve rather than be served.

Jesus even performed the lowly, servant’s task of washing the disciples’ feet just hours before His trial and then crucifixion. So when He made the declaration, also recounted in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Jesus was expounding on a previous statement, “whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave” (Matthew 20:27). It’s said lessons are more easily caught than taught, and through His example, Jesus was demonstrating to His followers what true leadership looks like.

It’s interesting how intriguing the concept of “servant leadership” has become, especially in today’s business and professional world. At a time when so many people have their eye on “I” – or “me” – the notion of a leader selflessly and sacrificially serving others seems novel. It’s certainly not being taught in our esteemed business schools, and on those rare times when examples of servanthood are presented through the national media, they’re treated as anomalies, exceptions rather than rules.

However, from God’s perspective, serving others should be the norm. After all, He did show us how it’s supposed to be done. Jesus declared, after His precedent-shattering foot washing, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

It doesn’t take an in-depth study of the Scriptures to see how important servanthood is to God. You might say that for all followers of Jesus, it’s a essential part of their job description. The apostle Paul, who himself endured much hardship and suffering in fulfilling his calling to minister to others, wrote, “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 on the very nature of a servant…” (Philippians 2:5-7).

Later, writing about the young man he had mentored, Paul said, “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a (spiritual) son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Philippians 2:21-22).

This truly is a revolutionary concept in many respects. Few of us awaken in the morning resolving to find someone to serve, much less take the risk of being treated like a servant! But that’s exactly what disciples of Christ are asked and exhorted to do.

No, it’s not easy. But imagine the difference it could make if we each resolved, rather than demanding to be served, to find ways of serving others – even if it cost us in terms of time, our talents, or our material resources. How refreshing it might be for the world around us to observe people with a “you first” rather than “me first” attitude.

A Big Difference . . . With a Little Effort

Would you like to feel you’re making a difference in the world – or more specifically, in your world?

But how? You or I aren’t likely to discover the cure for cancer, or end world poverty and hunger. Odds are against us coming up with the next great, life-changing invention. And these days it seems only a fool would run for President of the United States, so forget that. So how can we make a difference?

In their book, Simple Truths of Service, Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz show even a small, simple thought can result in a big difference. They tell about “Johnny the Bagger,” a 19-year-old grocery store bagger with Down syndrome.

Glanz, a customer service trainer, had spoken to store employees about “creating memories for your customers that will motivate them to come back.” 

A month later she received a call from Johnny, who admitted he initially didn’t think he could do anything special for customers. Then he had the idea of selecting a thought for the day, having his dad help in printing the messages on small pieces of paper, and then placing the thought of the day in each customer’s grocery bag.

As customers came to the register, he'd bag their groceries, put his thought for the day in their sack and say, “Thanks for shopping with us.”

Soon, according to the store manager, Johnny’s checkout line was always several times longer than the other lines – filled with shoppers eager to receive his daily “thought.”

Not only did customers arrive at the store anticipating the pleasant surprise they would receive upon checking out, but other employees also began devising novel ways to “create memories” for customers in their own departments. “A wonderful spirit of service spread throughout the store,” Glanz commented. All because one young man, despite a disability and a humble, “unimportant” job, chose to make a difference where he worked.

Johnny is hardly an exception. Looking at the life of Jesus, the difference He made day to day didn’t come from outrageous acts. He didn’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, or make mountains disappear. In fact, the times He was challenged to flaunt His powers, Jesus declined.

Instead, He washed disciples feet. He gathered little children to Himself, demonstrating how precious they are to God. He affirmed the great worth of women in a male-dominated society. He fed thousands with a handful of fish and bread.

A song I loved to hear years ago affirmed, “God uses ordinary people.” That’s true: Our extraordinary God uses ordinary people like us to accomplish great things, one little step at a time. Maybe we should also aspire to be like Johnny, doing something simple that can make a great difference.