When people are young and thinking about what they want to be when they grow up, they think about things like a teacher, an astronaut, a fireman, a policeman, the President, a Mom, etc. Have you ever heard anyone say that what they want to be is a servant?
I think that most everyone thinks about moving up into a good, well respected position in life – being independent and enjoying the fruit of their labors. The idea of stepping back – or down – to be a servant to someone else is likely low in their ideas of success.
There is nothing wrong at all about us wanting to be ambitious in order to achieve success in our lives, but should our desire always and only be to move up?
This week as one of my devotionals focused on 1 Corinthians 9:19-27, the idea of nothing but upward mobility began to seem less desirable as I studied the words of that passage along with the thoughts of the author of the devotional. That passage is a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and this is part of what he said:
“Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23 MSG)
Paul was a man that won many people over to Christ during his lifetime. Out of the 27 books of the New Testament, he wrote at least 13 of them. Yet he proclaimed that he’d become a servant to reach the people for his Lord. He wasn’t constantly trying to claw his way to the top of the heap in order to be recognized for his success. He stepped down to servanthood for his successes. But he had the best example ever for this attitude in the Christ that he preached.
In Isaiah 52:13 thru 53:12 you can read the prophecy about the coming Savior and specifically in verses 52:13 and 53:11 He is referred to as God’s Servant. Other passages where He is called a Servant:
“This is My servant, whom I have well chosen; this is the One I love, the One in whom I delight. I will place My Spirit upon Him; He will proclaim justice to all the world. (Matt 12:18 VOICE)
“…He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is the God of all our fathers. He gave glory to Jesus, his special servant.” (Acts 3:13a ERV)
“‘God has sent his special servant Jesus. He sent him to you first. He sent him to bless you by causing each of you to turn away from your evil ways.’” (Acts 3:26 ERV)
“In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-7 ERV)
My daily devotional read said this: “When we survey the ladders of success in this world, we need to get a glimpse, not of the glory of the climb, but of the glory of the descent. We need to learn to walk the way of Jesus. He came into this world from the glories of heaven – an amazing descent we can scarcely understand – and clothed Himself in human flesh. Why? Because that’s where He could meet us. And then He told His disciples He was sending them out in the same way He had been sent. He called them to descend into every deep corner of their world.” * “After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, ‘I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.’” (John 20:21 CEV) How did the Father send Him? He sent Him down – so Jesus was in turn, sending His disciples down to servanthood in order to win the people to Christ just as He had done and just as we read about Paul doing.
An easy thing for them to do? Not necessarily. An easy thing for us to do today? Not necessarily. But I believe that only with the right attitude and the right heart can we truly influence others that we meet – people that may not have Jesus in their life – people that need Jesus in their life. I’m going to add to my daily prayers, asking that God give me the heart and mind of a servant that I might influence others to bring Christ into their lives – let me move down God.
Written by Karran Martin – July 29, 2023
[All bold emphasis is mine]
*Quote by Chris Tiegreen
Karran's Korner 