Service

There are at least a couple of distortions related to service as a spiritual discipline. Those who tend to be consumers will be quick to remind us that everything we have is of grace - works do not benefit us. Those who tend to be servers are typically already stretched to the breaking point and the last thing they want is to hear someone encouraging them to find new ways to serve.

It is true that works of service do not benefit us. They benefit others. That's what they are for. It's also true that people with a servant's heart tend to overcommit. They need encouragement to refine their service according to their spiritual gifts and to stop trying to do everything.

Before going too much further, I should define just what I'm talking about. Service is that activity which is helpful to, or benefits, someone else, typically at some cost to one’s self, in the expenditure of energy if not other resources as well. It is worth noting that the Greek word which is most often translated “servant” is “doulos.” This word is best translated as “slave.” John MacArthur pointed out in a radio program that is only the squeamishness of the translators that prompts them to soften the word to “servant” in most English translations.

For our purposes, we'll chiefly consider the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 20:25-28: "Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the 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 your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" I have read leadership literature in a serious way since about 1990. Many times, in both secular and Christian books and articles, this saying of Jesus (or at least part of it) is quoted for the benefit of contemporary leaders.

It stands our usual attitude toward greatness and leadership on its head, pointing out that the truly great people of our world are those who serve others. The real power of Jesus' words are not in the words themselves, but in the way He lived them out - giving his life as a ransom for many. Clearly, true followers of Jesus, those who really want to be like Him, must approach life with the same attitude toward others. Practicing service as a spiritual discipline will certainly make us more like Jesus.

Service also gives us opportunities to learn about humility. There is a strange kind of false humility abroad in Christian circles which exalts the workaholic believer. But genuine service, done entirely for the benefit of the other, is associated with true humility. It is hard to know which comes first. Do we serve because we are humble, or humble because we serve. Either way, the two go together. Practicing this discipline consciously and seriiously will refocus us from self-centered to other-centered living.

Service also teaches us that our significance is not in becoming grander, but in raising others up. True greatness comes from building into the lives of others, not building monuments to ourselves. Some only want to serve in what they consider to be significant roles, shunning the menial and seeming meaningless opportunities to serve. In fact, all service is equal. It is the servant’s heart that pleases God, not just the specific acts of service we perform. We often focus on the works themselves, ignoring the spirit in which we might do them.

Service is valuable to us in a broader sense because it gives us opportunities to learn to let others be in control. Most of us hate the sensation of being "out of control." This is only a problem when we delude ourselves in one of two ways. Either we are in control so everything seems right to us, or the other is in control leading us to expect disaster at every turn. The fact is that God is in control, whether He is working through us or someone else. So on one level, surrendering control makes us feel vulnerable because others may take advantage of us. On a higher level, surrendering control to God teaches us to rest in Him and puts us in the position where we can benefit from whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

As with all of the disciplines, I need to point out a potential pitfall in service. The danger is that we may engage in service to others to meet our own needs. This, of course, is a perversion of the very concept of service, yet it is a common problem. True service is performed for the benefit of others, not for ourselves. We may receive some personal pleasure from it. We may receive gratitude from the ones we serve. We may even get some recognition in the broader community. But we must guard against the tendency to be motivated by the pleasure, the gratitude and the recognition. A good question to ask yourself in this regard is "Am I engaging in this act of service to please God, those I serve, or myself?"

Where possible, practice secrecy in your service. Be neither ostentatious nor deceptive. Don't use your ability and willingness to serve as a badge of honour. Train yourself to look for situations where you can serve quietly, behind the scenes. Think of the people you know and identify those you can serve who have nothing to offer in return. Only when we serve without expectation of personal reward do we truly follow the example of our Lord.

Ron Hughes
© August 2008