Building a Foundation for Service Through Humility
Election Day has come and gone, and most of the races have been decided. Now, as our new leaders prepare to take office, it is essential that they understand their role as servants first and leaders second.
Jesus set the standard for servant leadership during his brief time on earth, and he encouraged us to live our lives accordingly. Scripture is filled with passages about service to others, and virtually all are based on the premise that humility is a fundamental virtue for all people, particularly those who lead.
In the Gospel of Matthew (20:26), Jesus said, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” That is wise advice for all of us. He also said in the Gospel of Mark (9:35) that “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
We know that in order to be sincere and genuine followers of Christ, we must be his servant and a servant to others. Jesus also reminds us in I Corinthians 4:1-2 that all of his stewards “must be found trustworthy.” There is no place for deceit or deception in discipleship. In addition, he instructs us in Ephesians 2:10 to do the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should all work in them.”
Our creator certainly has a plan for us as revealed in Jeremiah 29:11, and we must be attentive and obedient to the way in which he is leading us. He implores us in Colossians 3:23-24 to work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that “from the Lord [we] will receive the inheritance as [our] reward.” In this way, “we are serving the Lord Christ.”
There is certainly plenty of incentive for us to be faithful servants. As we know, good works do not bring about salvation; only the blood of our Lord can do that. However, Scripture also encourages us to “clothe ourselves…with humility toward one another,” for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
One day, as stated in the Gospel of John (15:15), he will no longer call us servants, but instead friends, “for all that [he] has heard from [his] Father [he] has made known to [us].”
Let us pray for our leaders as they take office, and let us also pray for one another that we will embrace humility and serve the Lord by serving others, not just in election season, but throughout the entire year.
Until We Meet Again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John