Theme of the Week: Servant Leadership
Bible Verse: Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:3-8 NLT
Scripture Reading: Matthew 23:12; Philippians 2:3-8; Proverbs 16:18–19; 1 Peter 5:1–7
When Scripture says not be selfish, it might sound simple and trite; however, it’s the beginning of some vital instructions. When God admonishes us through Scripture…it means it can be done and should be done. The Apostle Paul said we “must” develop the same attitude Christ had. Jesus was willing to give up some privileges; He humbled Himself.
Our old, selfish way of thinking may have been to look out for #1, “me, myself, and I”. As Christians, we are instructed to think of others, not just ourselves. As it turns out, taking a walk in another man’s shoes is completely biblical. The more pride we have, the more we resist thinking about others. Why should we care, after all?
Humility, on the contrary, opens your heart to God’s grace – which you need. Humility will also open your eyes to serving – where God needs you. No matter how you look at it, without humility, we short-circuit what God wants to do through us. Your serving will improve as you increase in humility.
Jesus took “the humble position of a slave”. To serve like Jesus, you must care more about your responsibilities than your rights. Most slaves don’t obsess over their rights. We live in a world that is increasingly obsessed with rights…some good, some ridiculous. But there are people who get stuck fighting their whole life for things they must have. These people never have time to care about anyone else. It’s true in marriage, in families, in jobs, and even in our churches. If you are driven by what you think you deserve, you won’t find any time to serve anybody else . . . and you’ll likely be difficult to live with.
Any great endeavor required somebody to do the hard work. Somebody had to step up and put the effort in. It’s no less true in servant leadership. Somebody must do the hard work. The biggest part of that may be “humbling ourselves”.
Prayer: Father, forgive me for the times I spent caring more about my rights and less about my responsibilities when it comes to serving other people. Teach me to be as humble as Jesus was so I can see the needs and interests of others and bring you glory by serving them.
Reflection: Always expecting something from others makes for a selfish and miserable life. Does your attitude need to be humbler, like Christ? Start thinking about what others need and less about what you need. Ask yourself if you are more interested in your rights or your responsibilities.
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