CONNECTING POINT: Servant Leadership

Discipleship, as taught by Jesus, involves unconventional thinking based on the principle of servant leadership. He lived out His teachings, taking on the attitude and position as servant, even to the point of death, as He laid down His life for us. Jesus's sacrifice as the incarnate God speaks to His nature, character, and love for humanity. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is referred to in many ways: King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Master of the Universe, Creator of everything, all of which speak to His authority and dominion over all creation. Philippians 2:6-8 states, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his 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!”

Numerous world religions hold views of their deity as being mystical, unapproachable, and disconnected, while Biblical Christianity informs us that Jesus is quite the opposite. He is loving, merciful, gracious, trustworthy, and down-to-earth. Richard Sibbes, an early American Puritan, said, “Christ stood not upon His greatness, but being equal to God, He became a servant. Oh, we should dismount from the tower of our conceited excellency.” The description of Jesus in Philippians 2 tells us essential information about Christ. Still, it ties it contextually to how we are to model our relationships, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but to the interests of each other. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God…” (Philippians 2:1-6).

Another valuable principle is that the true nature of discipleship is rooted in modeling servant leadership. Jesus again confirms this mindset in Luke 17:7-10,  “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Discipleship in God’s Kingdom is unlike corporate America or most of modern society. A motto such as, step on others to get to the top or do what you need to do, by looking out for numero uno flies in the face of Biblical principles. A servant who believes that they are there to be served by their master is no servant at all. Disciples of Jesus are servants who live their lives in such a manner as to further the goals of Jesus.

Pastor George Wood has said, “We should be servants of Jesus, not masters of people.” As Christians, we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus; the reward for doing so is eternal.