Servanthood

I finished up a devo/lesson thingy on servanthood that minus some editing will be used by some of the students preparing to do a mission trip with us. It's written to that audience but I thought I'd share it here. It's a little long so there's your warning.

Pre-Trip Lesson #3 - Servanthood

What are the first few things that come to mind when you think about being a servant? If you are like me you think about some gross tasks, some difficult circumstances and some embarrassing situations. Few people aspire to one day become a servant. For many of us, we think of gaining more prestige, of ascending the ladder of success and ultimately of being in a position of power. To dream of being a servant would be seen by many as foolish. To end up as some ones servant would be humiliating, a failure.

What tasks come to mind when you think of being a servant? My guess is you are thinking of things that you might be willing to do on a mission trip but not necessarily during your normal everyday life. Why is it that you and I are more willing to do new things, eat weird foods and serve in difficult ways on a mission trip and not on a daily basis?

I was reading a few months back about the difference between serving and being a servant. The point was made that when you merely serve you hold back control and maintain your ability to be hurt or offended. However, when you become a servant it means humiliation and a total opening of yourself to the other person.

Jesus gave the ultimate example of being a servant when he came to earth. His servanthood left him exposed and open to hurt, offense and ultimately rejection. But his example was so powerful that even those killing him took notice.

Take a few minutes to read a couple of passages. One is Matthew 20:20-28. Pay attention to the last few verses where Jesus reminds everyone of his true reason for coming to earth. After that flip over to Matthew 27: 27-54 and relive that moment of ultimate servanthood.

Becoming a servant is not about a trip, it is about a lifestyle. It is easy for any of us to hold it all together on a 10 or 16 or even 30 day trip. Just by sheer will we can be a lot of things for a while. The really impressive thing to me is the person who is a servant every day. It is the person who is a missionary where they live, who cares about people in their neighborhood or at their school with the same heart and passion they display for a couple weeks during the summer.

Ultimately, being a servant is a daily thing. It is an attitude that is with you from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep. In Luke 9:23 the challenge from Jesus is simple to say, difficult to live out. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Being a servant means that each day we deny ourselves and follow the call of God.

One of the biggest obstacles to a life of servanthood is our own wants and desires. We want objects, respect, and admiration. Each day we spend our waking moments thinking about how to get what we want. Our selfish desires cause us to miss out on the needs of others. When given a choice between satisfying what we want and caring for the other person we look to our own needs first.

Before we go any further, take a few moments to read Philippians 2:1-11.

There are a few truths we can draw from this passage. First, the heart of a servant is to be like Christ. It is to have a heart for unity and for corporate health instead of personal happiness.

Second, a servant thinks of others as better than themselves. It means not doing anything for selfish reasons, or because it personally benefits you. It also means you have a humble attitude. This humility leads us to not just say but really believe that everybody matters, everybody is special. It means our actions are not motivated by our own conceited opinion of ourselves.

Often this “vain conceit” that Paul speaks about becomes a roadblock to our life of service. We begin to think we are too important for a specific task. We see certain tasks as something “they” do while our skills are best suited for this other task which often ends up being something with a bigger stage or brighter lights. It ought to be true that great leaders are also great servants.

I heard a story recently about a friend of mine Tony. He’s the preaching pastor at a local church and they were having a men’s breakfast which required the set up and tear down of chairs and tables. It was noted that though Tony was there to teach and offer spiritual encouragement to the men, he also took the time to set up and tear down. If he had only been there to serve, he would have done his part and left. But because he is a servant, he did whatever was necessary even if it took more time or he ended up hot and sweaty.

Third, we are encouraged to look out not only for our own interests but also for the interests of others. When you notice the needs of those around you and are moved to action, you are becoming a servant to others. There is a huge difference between that attitude and simply showing up to do something nice for someone. Knowing the interests of others and caring for them takes time and investment.

At the end of the day the words from a Bob Dylan song are true, you “Gotta serve somebody.” Either our heartbeat is to serve God or ourselves. When our motivation is to serve God, it affects how we think, what we do and say, where we go and every part of our life. It affects whether we care about others or simply ourselves.

Right now you are preparing for a life changing trip. You will see and do things you will never forget. You will have an amazing opportunity to serve people on every step of this journey but please don’t wait until you step off that plane to be a servant. Your mission trip starts now. Servanthood isn’t an attribute you turn on and off, it needs to be who you are, something that is woven into the very fabric of your life.

The challenge is a simple one. Strive to be a servant and not simply to serve. Make it a part of your lifestyle and not just something you do when it is convenient. There will be times on this trip when you are tired, scared or homesick. There might be times when you do not want to eat the food, talk to that person or teach that lesson another time. But in the midst of all those things, you need to choose to deny yourself and be a servant. You need to remember that their eternity is more important than your constant comfort.

So before you answer the following questions, I would like to offer you a blessing from Peter. May these words encourage and challenge us all. May they become the driving force behind you and may your mission trip change the world and ultimately the landscape of eternity. May you be the servant God is calling you to be.

“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. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 4:8-11