This is the final installment of the Being a Servant series.
Have you met someone before that says all the right things, does all the right things but you later find out they did it all for the wrong reasons? This is closely tied to what it means to be a hypocrite. Basically what you say does not match up what you believe. Here we find one of the greatest threats to a servant of Christ, making the service about you.
How many times have you encountered this. That someone is serving on their hands and knees. They’re doing the dirty work. They’re trying to lead by example. The problem is the entire time they are acting like a servant they are doing and saying things that translate to: “Look at me!” “Only someone who is humble like me would serve this way.” ”Look how mature I am.” or “Someone needs to notice me because I’m being a servant.” The best way I can describe this is a self-centered servant.
But is a self-centered servant an oximoran? Is it possible to be a servant and be focused on yourself? Or is a servant by definition to focus on others? Philippians 2:3-8 gives us some clarity on how we should act and how Jesus modeled being a servant:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Being a servant cannot be about YOU! We are not servants to help us sleep better at night. We don’t give to others so we make ourselves look better. We are servants because those around us need to see and experience the love of God. They experience this by us serving them. It’s the definition of agape love. It’s unconditional. When we serve others we want to bless them with the love of Christ not because we will receive something in return. We give of ourselves because we are part of the kingdom of God not because we want to make our good deeds known. The second we make it about us, our glory, our recognition, our fame we fail to communicate God’s love and in return have communicated an empty, selfish, self-seeking religion that does not reveal Christ.
Satan want to get a foothold on those willing to serve. He desires to thwart our efforts to display Christ. Sadly he attacks us by saying, “You deserve recognition.” “Don’t they realize you’ve slaved day and night to help them?” “If they really cared about what you did, they would appreciate you more.” Satan is attacking us by making our faith, our actions, our service about what we will get in return. We must fight the temptation to listen to Satan’s advances. We must focus on Christ and His humility and His obedience. We must ask that He gives us the strength we need.
Every time I serve, this battle is played out inside my head. It’s a war the rages inside of me. I would like to say that most days that Christ prevails. But I’m sad to say that there are plenty of times my own selfish ambition gets in the way. There is one things I’m sure of, even though I know each time I serve I face this battle, it doesn’t mean I won’t keep fighting. With God’s Spirit residing in me, I fight daily to make myself less and make Christ more.
One last thing thought, C.S. Lewis describes a humble person this way, “He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.” That’s what we are called to, not think about ourselves at all.
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Being a Servant: The Example of Jesus
