A Servant’s Heart

Jesus was always serving others. Throughout Scripture, we see stories of Him washing feet, healing the sick, teaching the disciples, and always putting others first. His heart was to serve, and we can learn a lot from that as followers of Christ.

I’ll never forget the time I was in high school and served at my local church for our “Take the Plunge” baptism event. I led worship for this event as people were baptized in the water. It was a special moment singing about the transforming power of Jesus washing away our sins and shame and seeing others experience His amazing grace at the same time. As they went in and came out of the water, we sang about amazing grace and being washed clean. There were plenty of church volunteers who signed up to serve that day, but one volunteer in particular made an impression on me as a young girl I’ll never forget. Hours before the event started, our Pastor’s wife was in gym clothes and a baseball cap, setting up for the event. She spent that hot summer morning running around with a pushcart, dropping off water, towels, t-shirts, and pretty much everything else you could imagine, making sure this event was perfect. She wasn’t even scheduled to help for this event but came, served, and cleaned everything up afterward so that even the volunteers could go be with their families. The way she led by example was something I had never seen before. Her example of servant leadership is something that, even years later, I still think about and am challenged by.

Jesus served this same way, and He taught us that there is a great blessing in being a servant. He taught us that true leaders are those who serve.

“But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:26-27 NIV)

Sometimes, it’s easy to think that if we are “leading” and have maturity or status in a specific role, we don’t need to do the dirty work. Real talk, I’ve been there before. I am guilty of this mindset. There was a time I thought in some way I had “arrived,” and because of my role, it meant that I was above doing a certain job. Thank God, He opened my eyes to see with a heavenly perspective. Servanthood is the best position we could ever take as we become like Christ. Just as the psalmist declares in Psalm 84:10:

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Jesus showed us how to truly lead when He took on the form of a servant.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

My goal in becoming more like Christ is to become more like Him as a servant. One of the greatest examples He gave us is how He served others. Even unto death, He took our place. Praise God for His amazing grace! May we daily become more like Christ, washing others’ feet and looking for opportunities to serve!

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Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.