Servant Leadership

Jesus made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (Phil 2:7)
“From everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more (Luke 12:48)

At the center of the mind of Chirst is the servant mind. We have difficulty understanding the real meaning of servanthood. Many Christians are more concerned with the provision of privileges and personal rights than the joy of service.

Two Reasons for Servanthood

First, it is a command. Phil 2:7 tells us to think like Jesus, who “took upon him the form of a servant”. We are to think like a servant.

A second reason we should be a servant is because Jesus is our model. We become like Christ. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet before the Lord’ supper. Then He told them: “If I then the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave an example that you also should do as I did to you” (John 13:14-15). Jesus was not as interested in clean feet as He was in the disciples assuming servant roles.

God does not need our service. He does not need anything – our talent, our intelligence, our money, or our service.

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13)

Serving God and Others

Unlike the world’s system, in Christ’s kingdom servanthood is the key to greatness, not position or influence. Jesus explained Kingdom greatness:

Matt 20:25-28

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Greatness coming through lowly servanthood is beyond our comprehension. This part of Jesus’ teaching has not become a part of the attitude of most Christians. The last will be first, the least will be the greatest, and the servant will be highly regarded.

We serve God because He is supreme. He is the sovereign Ruler of the universe. We serve, not out of a selfish desire to become great, but because God loves us and commands us to love one another. Love serves others by meeting needs.

Struggling With Past Sins?

Are you struggling with some past sins. Many people do not have mastery over their past sins. Although they have sought forgiveness from God, they still feel emotional each time they remember it.

All of us have something in our past which we needed to repent. Some individuals could seemingly go through life without looking back, having repented of their sins. Others who have committed equally grave sins and experienced the same forgiveness find themselves unable to forget. Why is that so? Psychologists believed it has got to do with the sensitivity and the make-up of their personality. Perhaps the cause may be due to their low self-esteem or worth. The person often feels that he or she is too “evil” to be forgiven. Or could it be our “pride” or Satan’s tactics to cause the person to think that “How could it ever happen to me?”

All of us struggle in life. But if our past sins bring us misery, then I want you to know that God can help us to put our past in its right perspective. Even though we may not necessary forget the awful thing we did in the past, we will not be emotionally overwhelmed by it, because we have experienced the joy of “real forgiveness: from God. It is possible to remember a negative event without reliving it.

Despite our past, we must move forward as a forgiven man, knowing that God does not remember a sin that has been forgiven. If God is not holding it against us, then why should we?

Heb 10:7 “..Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more”
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins”.
Psalm 86:5 – “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
Psalm 103:3 -“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases”

Live Life To Its Fullest

Do you desire to live and to live life to its fullest. This should be our desire and motivation.

Our relationship with our Lord should stir within us the desire to live fuller and better lives….the abundant life that He speaks of in John 10:10. It is not mere willpower, but a life that is mastered by the Holy Spirit.

What masters us? Is it fear and worry? Is it carnal desires? Is it self-pity, disappointment, bitterness or resentment? Take heart. God’s powers is more than a match for every situation if you yield your life to Him.

Fear and worry often master us. “Do not fret”, we are instructed in Psalm 37:8, “it leads only to evil”. Fretting or worrying is destructive. What begins a fret soon becomes a threat – a threat to your life as well as a threat to your spiritual poise. In God’s Name, they should be rooted out at all costs.

Memorize these verses, appropriate them and apply them in your life.

1. I Am More Than A Conqueror
Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us

2. At My Command, The Devil Flees
James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

3. Sin Shall Have No Dominion Over Me
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace

4. The Greater One Is In Me
I Jn 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5. I Can Do Greater Works For the Greater One Is In Me
John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

6. I Can Do All Things Required of Me
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

7. I Have Total Success For The Total Being
3 Jn 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.