the heart of a servant.

My family has always celebrated my mom and I’s birthdays together because they are just a few days apart. I just turned 23 so at our family birthday celebration, one of my sisters asked me what I learned while I was 22. So… what is one of the biggest things God taught me during the past year of my life?

My answer was easy—servanthood. Thank You God for shaping my heart to be more of a servant with joy. 

“Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross.” 

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Jesus is the greatest servant. This passage of scripture leaves me in complete awe of the humility and love of Jesus. He knew exactly who He was and why He was sent to be with us. God has taught me that having the heart of a servant is best. Not just on mission trips, not just when we’re volunteering at Church, but always! In marriage, with roommates and family, in ministry, in work, in the important relationships in our lives — we live into our purpose when we serve others around us with a loving and willing heart. 

The gospels share story after story of Jesus serving others and teaching His disciples to do the same. In chapter 6 of Mark, Jesus commissions the twelve to preach and teach, heal sicknesses and drive out demons. He sent them out to serve the broken and to bring the good news (Mark 6:7-13). This wasn’t easy work. They were guaranteed rejection, struggle, and they were learning the real cost of following Jesus. Later in the chapter when Jesus and His disciples are reunited, Jesus has compassion on the crowds that had been following them “because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 34). So He preached and fed the crowd of 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish that multiplied into an abundance. What a great act of service! 

To imitate Christ is to empty ourselves and take on the role of a servant. Being a servant of Jesus is not easy — it will bring us into rejection, struggles and battles we didn’t know we’d have to face. In Matthew 10, Jesus instructs His disciples and says to them, “And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39). Our life is found when we lay it down and surrender to Jesus. When we try to follow Jesus and live for ourselves with one foot in and one foot out, we will find ourselves stuck and spinning our wheels. Trust me — I’ve tried it! Just as He did for the 12 disciples, He will call us into difficult tasks and will never leave us alone without His guidance and strength. In Mark 10:42-45 Jesus says, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In our world, the powerful who lift themselves up are the greatest. In the Kingdom of God, the humble and lowly servants are the greatest.  

This calls us to take a step back, look at our lives and really ask ourselves where we have not yet surrendered to the ways of Christ. The areas that we are still attempting to live on our own terms, for our own glory and comfort rather than to be a servant. Desire for status, idolization of money, pride, and temporary pleasure are things that will distract us from being true servants of God. As students, family members, friends and workers, we have opportunities to serve with our hands and our hearts on a daily basis in radical ways, but our eyes must be opened to how God calls us to live radically different from the world.  

Jesus promises to care for His people. When we decide to surrender our lives fully to the life of a servant, we might wonder how we will be taken care of. As Jesus calls us to serve, He also provides rest and retreat because He cares for you! In Mark 6, after the disciples had been sent out and returned to Jesus, they report to Him all that had happened as they had walked in obedience to Jesus’ call and commission to them. Jesus’ response to them is an invitation to retreat. “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while” (Mark 6:31). And what follows the feeding of the 5,000? Jesus Himself retreating to pray on the mountainside (v. 46). Jesus didn’t leave His disciples to be drained, exhausted and burnt out servants — He called them into rest. In deep relationship with Jesus, He is the One who defines the boundaries of our service and work, our rest and retreat.

It is with great joy that we get to imitate Jesus. As we receive His great love for us, may we be compelled into action and let it overflow onto all those around us. 

So, who can you serve today? 

“For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow  — in heaven and on earth and under the earth  — and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

May we always remember that this is the King we live for. <3