Have you ever been told you have a servant’s heart? If the answer is yes, it was probably in a setting where there were people who were Christians. A devoted Christian should desire a servant’s heart. After all, the one we are supposed to imitate was the greatest servant of all. In Mark 10:45, Jesus spoke of himself when He said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The word servant in the Old Testament is “ebed.” It is a Hebrew word that has two elements to it. They are action and obedience. A person with a servant’s heart will be doing something to benefit the one they serve. For there to be a servant, there must also be a Master. A servant belongs to someone, and they work on behalf of their Master. They are not selfish but seek to serve others in a manner that honors their Master. A person with a servant’s heart is humble. They do not think of themselves at all. This was Jesus’ mindset as He, the King of Glory, humbled himself to become a man and serve others here on earth.
Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
A person with a servant’s heart does not sit down and figure out how serving others will affect them before they serve. Their focus is on taking care of others. Pleasing the Master is all that is important to them. When you count the cost, you think of yourself, not others. A person with a servant’s heart serves joyfully even when it means their personal plans have to change. A person with a servant’s heart looks for opportunities to serve without expecting anything in return. Sometimes, a servant’s service is overlooked. They may be despised or rejected by others because the ones being served do not think the service was good enough. This was also a picture of Jesus. In Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” The Pharisees wanted a King that would rule like the other nations. They did not want a humble servant to be their Savior. They wanted a King that would rule and destroy their enemies. Their lives were all about themselves, not others.
How do you keep your focus and desire to serve without allowing the flesh to get upset at how others respond? You determine why you are doing what you are doing. While you may have a boss, a friend, or a leader of an organization who does not appreciate what you do, you keep your focus on your ultimate goal. You serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You do what you do for Him, and Him alone. If others get the benefit, that is good, but your service is to Jesus—the one who came to serve. The one who washed His disciple’s feet died for our sins and rose to prove to us there is life after death. You serve for a purpose that is greater than yourself. It does not matter if your service goes unnoticed. You keep on serving. Everything you do is done for His glory. Paul states it perfectly in Colossians 3:22-24.
Colossians 3:22-25 “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
If you are one of those who thinks about all the service you’ve done or if you were thanked or noticed, then you do not have a true servant’s heart. When you do what you do simply for the glory of God, you think only of Him and how you can exalt Him, not yourself. You will get physically tired and sometimes emotionally drained, but you will have a heart that is full because He sustained you and allowed you the opportunity to serve. I know this attitude may seem impossible because the flesh rises up often to seek its own pleasure, but with Christ, this servant’s heart is our goal. It is part of our sanctification. A process that will end when we reach Heaven. This servant’s heart starts with a desire for our lives to be more of Him and less of us. Our purpose in life after we are saved is to point people to Him. When you have a servant’s heart, people will notice, even though you do not do it for that reason. And when they do, point them to Jesus.
John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
