Servant
For kids, words can be so misunderstood. Listening to our own children learning to talk was often hilarious and confusing! Don’t we all hear requests for “bis-ghetti” at some point in their young lives? I can remember singing, “Jesus Loves Me” as a young child and wondering what it meant to be “sloved,” but it must be good because it was from Jesus. You know, “Jesus sloves me, this I know….” And in the Lord’s prayer, “…Deliver us from ebil.” I didn’t know what “ebil” was, but my need for a concrete image gave me one of those large colorful orbs that you sometimes see in gardens—THAT was “ebil.”
Is our spiritual vocabulary any different? Words we hear and don’t understand—like “consecration” or “sanctification”—even simpler words like “faith” and “fear” become better understood with experience. We think we know what they mean, and a dictionary will define it for us, but it’s not fully understood until it’s OUR WORD.
One such word, it seems, is SERVANT. What do you think of when you see that word? The wait staff at a restaurant? The table cleaner? The dictionary defines it as, “a person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.” The Bible definition in short means, “anyone who serves.” Jesus, our Servant example, said it meant that we take up our cross daily and follow Him.
Serving involves humility.
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave…” Matthew 20:25-27 (NASB)
At any rate, the image is of someone doing something. There are two kinds of people in this world, givers and takers. In the same way, there are two kinds of people in this world, servants and served. Some are doing the work, making the effort, and receiving the pay/reward, while others are sitting back and receiving the benefits of the work or effort. The waiter brings the food to our table, we receive it. Sometimes, we really enjoy going to dinner away from home and just being waited on! A regular routine of it would make us fat and lazy, and it would also rob us of the joy and pleasure of serving our families.
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11 (NASB)
There is a certain joy in accomplishment that comes with serving, even if it seems mundane. Seeing a clean kitchen or empty laundry hamper makes us feel a sense of calmness. Sure, it will need to be done again very soon, but we’ve served and for now, it’s GOOD. What if we never see the fruits of our labor? Some results are not realized until years from now, or even in eternity. Does that mean it’s not worth the effort? NEVER! God is the ultimate Rewarder of our service, whether anyone notices or not that we’ve done something for them.
Have we become more focused on receiving, making us not on wanting to serve? Maybe it’s a result of the isolation of COVID-19, maybe it’s not. Perhaps it’s a lack of self-confidence. Make a meal for someone? Let someone else do it, they’re a better cook. Teach a Bible study? Let someone else do it, they know more than I do. Serve on a committee? Let someone else do it, I don’t feel qualified. And there’s always the fact that serving takes time. It may require sacrifice.
The big question we must ask ourselves, when asked to serve, is “What would Jesus have me do?” It’s much easier to answer without even asking Him, even if the answer is “Yes.” Ultimately, we are serving HIM when we serve each other!
“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Rom. 12:11 (ESV)
So the next time you’re asked to serve, sit down with a bowl of bis-ghetti, think about how much Jesus sloves you, and ask Him how to answer. Then receive the blessing if He says “Yes”!
