I want to share something about Servanthood.
Humility is worked in our lives through the discipline of service…nothing creates humility like serving behind the scenes. I’m not saying you need to serve in concealment, but it may be good if you have issues with pride in your life or you feel the need to work on humility.
Jesus came in the form of a servant; He was not disguising who God is…He was revealing who God is. It’s through servanthood that we come to see the truth about ourselves. One of the primary reasons Jesus calls us to serve isn’t simply because other people benefit–it’s because He knows what serving does in us. There’s a relationship between authentic helping and healing.
Bill W. realized not long after he found sobriety that he was about to get drunk. He sought and found the name of another alcoholic, Dr. Bob, to whom he could tell his story. Ultimately, Dr. Bob also became sober and with Bill W. became the cofounder of AA. Bill W. understood that the main reason for telling his story was not to save Dr. Bob; rather, if he didn’t give away what he had,he would get drunk again. Bill W. could help because he was weak, and in helping, he received strength. Bill W.’s experience illustrates a kingdom principle: when we pour into others, God often strengthens us in the process. We can minister out of weakness – God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) The reason we help others is not because we are strong and they need us; it’s because if we don’t help them, we will end up a hopeless relic. If we wait to be strong, we’ll never do anything.
Serving can help us understand how life in the Kingdom works. Serving can create a sense of intimacy and community.
It doesn’t really matter what we do, what our gifts are…the Bible tells us that:
“A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another. God has also given each of us different gifts to use.” Romans 12:4-6a
When we give our lives to Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit to live on the inside of us. The Holy Spirit gives each of us gifts of the Spirit. These gifts could be preaching, teaching, administration, giving, service, and Hospitality, and others. We are all parts of one Body, the Body of Christ. The gifts that the Spirit gives to us, we are to use for the Body of Christ.
“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10
Every gift is as important as the rest. We need each other. In fact, it works just like our physical body, when my foot gets a new pair of shoes, my hand is willing to help put that shoe on my foot. It’s not jealous of my foot. When I bump my head, my hand rushes to comfort the pain. We are to be like that with each other. Willing to help each other and comfort each other in our pain and struggles.
Paul speaks of the physical body analogy in I Corinthians, Chapter 12, he also speaks of the Spiritual gifts in Chapter 14, but…the chapter in between these two is known as the “Love Chapter”. I find that interesting, I believe it may be because our service and place in the Body of Christ increases our love walk and gives us an attitude of humility. We cannot have Chapter 12 and 14 without having Chapter 13. It isn’t an accident that Paul places the Love Chapter between the chapter on spiritual gifts and the chapter on using those gifts. Love is what gives our gifts their purpose and keeps our service from becoming about ourselves.
Jesus also taught us:
“Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:40
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