Learning to Be a Servant of God

Memory verse: I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5)

Many Scripture passages describe Jesus as God’s Servant. He came as a servant to accomplish God’s will to redeem humanity. Here is what Paul said about Jesus: “Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus; Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:5-8)

            In His instructions to His disciples about servanthood, Jesus (the Son of man) described His own role of service this way: “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” (Matt. 20:26-28). Jesus also identified what our relationship with Him should be like: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

            The world’s concept of a servant is that a servant goes to the master and says, “master, what do you want me to do?” The master tells him, and the servant goes off by himself and does it. That is not the biblical concept of being a servant of God. Being a servant of God is different from being a servant of a human master. A servant of a human master works for his master. God, however, works through His servants. He first wants you to allow Him to mold and shape you into the instrument of His choosing. Then He takes your life where He wills and works through it to accomplish His purposes. Just as a cup cannot do anything in its own, you do not have the ability to carry out the Lord’s command except to be where He wants you to be. 

            To be God’s servant, you must be moldable and remain in the hand of the Master. Then the Master will use you, the instrument, as He chooses. The servant can do nothing of Kingdom value alone, just as Jesus said, “the Son can do nothing by Himself” (John 5:19) and “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). With God working through a servant, however, he or she can do anything God can do. Wow! Unlimited potential! Servanthood requires obedience. Servants must do what they are instructed but must remember it’s God who is accomplishing all the work. 

            If you have been working from the human approach to being a servant, this concept should change your approach to serving God. You do not get your orders and then go out to accomplish them on your own. You relate to God, you respond to Him, and adjust your life to Him so that from your relationship with Him, He does what He wants to do through your life. God wants you to come to a greater knowledge of Him by experience. He wants to develop a growing, deepening love relationship with you. He wants to involve you in His Kingdom purposes. He wants to accomplish His will through you. 

            Do you want to be a servant of God? Find out what is on the Mater’s heart. Discover where the Master is working; that is where you need to be. Find out what the Master is doing; that is what you need to do. Jesus said, “whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me” (John 12:26).