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Monday, January 30, 2012

01-30-12 "Serving: God's Pathway to Influence" Mark 10:35-45


“ The focus of the servant is on the one being served rather than on the outcome of the service.” - HighQuest

The passage I read was Mark 10:35-45
You can find that passage here:

The verse that most stood out to me:
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

As I reflect:
In today’s passage I am focusing mainly on just the last few verses because I feel that the first few are an entirely different Bible study dealing with the issues of pride, position, and a desire to be with our Savior.  For today’s study I am led to focus on 2 words: Servant Leadership.  

You don’t see this among many religions, belief systems, hobbyist, enthusiast, leaders of any genre today.   I got to see this the other day from my pastor.  Me and my son were doing some rounds seeking anyone who needed assistance at the church the other day, when we came across a small puddle of someone’s spilled coffee.  I sent my son to the nearest restroom to get some paper towels and just as he was rounding the corner toward the restroom, I realized I was next to my pastor who was receiving a napkin already from his daughter.  He then knelt down without hesitation and cleaned and dried the floor area where the small spill had occurred.  I know it’s just a short story about a small puddle of coffee and to many it’s probably not that big a deal.  But to me, it meant a lot.  It meant that our pastor was a servant and that no matter how many people were in the congregation at our church, he didn’t see himself any differently than the rest of those who serve in and out of this building.  That’s servant hood.  That’s how you lead. 

I think the importance of this passage to me is not just to serve, but rather the focus of that service.  Above, I have quoted an excerpt from the introduction to this week’s study on “Serving: God’s Pathway to Influence”.  It states that the focus isn’t on the outcome of the service, but on the one being served.  I think that should be true of all of us.  My pastor wasn’t focused on who may see him kneel and clean a floor in the church.  There was no crowd circling him in astonishment at this event.  He didn’t look at me afterwards with a hint of pride like, “yea, that’s right you just saw me lower myself to serve.”  Nope, he did it because it was the right thing to do, and it needed doing.  Nor did Jesus give himself willingly on the cross simply to gain recognition or the place at the right hand of God.  These may have been results of what He did, but not the reason He did them.  All though His life as a man, we see that each miracle performed was not performed for the crowd sake as much as for the sake of the person that was healed.  Jesus cared about those whom He served.  He left the results of that servant hood to God.   We should likewise focus on those whom we serve and not on recognition or on outcome of that servant hood. 

About 7 years ago I was at a conference that focused on the removal of Satan’s arrows and the healing the Lord provides.  A man at the conference confessed to me that he was greatly angered that the pastor had looked him over and chose another person to add to the church staff as a paid servant at the church.  He said that felt like arrows from the enemy hitting his pastor.  The man(whom we’ll call Jimbo) told me he was angry because the pastor sees him serving all the time.  Every time he takes out the trash or prays with someone it’s in front of the pastor.  Every time a volunteer was needed, he was sure to raise his hand so that the pastor may see his servant heart.  But this other man was no servant at all.  Jimbo told me he had never even seen this guy lift a single finger to help the church.  After much discussion and council on the situation, I advised Jimbo that he was serving for the recognition of man and that the pastor likely saw this.  The other man that was chosen to join the staff was likely serving in unseen ways because he didn’t seek recognition, but genuinely had a heart to help those in need and spread the gospel.  Jimbo had forgotten or perhaps never even learned that the purpose of serving isn’t the recognition for doing it, but rather to simply lift up the person you are helping, or to improve upon the building for the sake of others who would benefit from it.  He was displeased with my response, but we prayed none the less for a heart change in his life instead of a promotion at a church.  We prayed that he would be used for God’s will, and not for his own.

Let us look to genuinely help others in any way that we can because we genuinely care about those whom we help.  Seek first the kingdom.


My response to the Lord:
Lord, I cannot with words thank you enough for the miracles that your Son has done, both in history and in my life today.  I cannot thank you anywhere near enough for what He will do with my future either.  For giving us such a perfect example of how to serve, I am grateful.  Now Lord, I ask for even more than the example.  I ask for your help to reflect that example, and as important to do so for the right reasons.  May I serve in humility, and not seek recognition for the service you allow me to take part in.  May you bless those whom I serve for allowing me the opportunity to serve them and may you multiply my efforts.  In Jesus’ name.  

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