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God never promised us the Christian life would shield us from the temptation of popularity, greatness, or admiration.Every single person wants to live a great life. It’s born within us. We may not believe that we’ll live it, and we may be full of feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, but every single person has a desire to achieve greatness that can come with serving others. In fact, don’t we often toy with getting what we want out of life just like the world does? Jesus was born to serve. He showed us how to serve those in His ‘inner circle,’ His twelve disciples. As He prepared Himself for the cross in the upper room at the last supper, surrounded by those He loved, He readied them for His death. John 13:1 says, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” Jesus was born to give His life. And from early beginnings, He stayed in step with His Father’s plans. I am motivated when I consider how He knew and accepted His calling, kept it as the central focus, even in the formative years. Remember early on in His life and three-day disappearance? His anxious and stressed out parents finally found him in the courtyard of the temple, listening and asking the synagogue teachers questions. Although Mary and Joseph were relieved, they became irritated and offended over His behavior. “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49 (NKJV).
The self-serving spirit and mind-set of the world is opposed to the mind of sacrificial servant living. Thus, based on the mercies of God available to believers in Christ, the apostle appeals to Christians to surrender themselves to God as living sacrifices. Essential to that, and in keeping with living a Spirit-controlled and Word-filled life, is the need for daily renewing the mind in the truth of the Word. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV). The point is that one’s consecration to God and a lifestyle transformed by the renewing of the mind is to be demonstrated in giving of oneself through the exercise of spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. Again, in the realm of surrender and sacrifice, the Lord Jesus is our perfect example. First, being willing to sacrifice His position and privileges, He surrendered Himself to the Father’s will. This also meant he was willing to serve and even suffer to fulfill the Father’s plan of salvation for us. Therefore, as He was willing to sacrifice and surrender that He might serve our needs (become our Redeemer and Advocate), so we are to be willing to serve, surrender, and sacrifice to meet the needs of others as a display of the mind of Christ."Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" Philippians 2:3-5 (NKJV).
For the Christian, then, this means (a) knowing the Word which identifies the true needs of people and then (b) working in the power of the Spirit to meet those needs according to our gifts, opportunities, and abilities. It also means caring about people and getting to know them personally so we can help meet their particular needs as we are given opportunity, as we have ability to do so, and as the Lord provides a way to do so.
Jesus, measured greatness totally different, in terms of service and not status. Servants don’t promote or call attention to themselves. Instead of acting to impress we are to clothe ourselves in humility. You serve God by serving others. A servant's heart means to have a mindset or a desire to selflessly and sacrificially serve others, regardless of your feelings towards them or what it may cost you. This means you must put aside any feelings of bitterness or resentment, and live to serve anyone whose path you may cross without hesitation. Oftentimes we can fall into the trap of the idea that serving God means doing great things and being a great person. Doing great things isn't wrong, but we must make sure that they are the ones God desires. We could spend our whole lives in mission, starting ministries, or serving in different positions at our church - but none of it would matter if we were ignoring the one thing God was asking of us. God has chosen us to serve and for service to His kingdom and others. "Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them" Acts 6:1-6 (NKJV). Being a servant God will not always be easy. Sometimes God is calling us to what appears to be the most difficult thing in our life at the moment. However, we must persevere. Our kindness, compassion, and sacrifice will flower beautifully. When we act in love we act in the name of God. Thus, we should always strive to live as His servants, to give ourselves completely to His will.
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