We are humble
It was early Saturday morning, and I was parking our car at a Women’s Event. My sister was speaking, and I was helping out in the back with the lights. As we were backing into our parking space, we noticed a gentleman getting out of his car a few feet before us.
I recognized him instantly. In addition to being the pastor of a large church down the street and the author of a book, this gentleman was a denominational district official for his region of the country. Being a generally skeptical human being, my first thought when I saw him was, “The district must have sent him in to make an appearance and endorse the event.”
I could not have been more wrong! In fact, after observing him at the event, I’m very ashamed that I ever made that assumption.
Contrary to my cynical thought, this man was not at the event to be served but was there to serve. Rather than ministering from the stage (in fact, he received no stage time or public recognition), this prominent minister spent his day waiting tables. He spent his morning preparing for the meal, served food to the women attending the event at noon, and then when the attendees went to their workshop, he did the work of a busboy cleaning tables. Then he helped tear everything down and quietly slipped out the door.
Looking back, I’m sure many people attending the event didn’t even know he was there. (I only knew because I was working behind the scenes.) Still, that day, this godly man set an example of humbly serving others that I will never forget. He demonstrated one of the keys to happiness that Paul gave the Philippian church: Happiness comes from following Jesus’ example of humility and putting another’s needs before our own.
Let’s look at Philippians 2:5-11 together:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own 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! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NIV)
Why does a man need to serve others? The answer is quite simple. We are supposed to follow Jesus’s example. Jesus’ life was the model of a man who served.
Jesus left the glory of heaven and came to earth to serve others. His entire life was geared toward servanthood. It was the one lesson He constantly hammered into His disciples. Whenever they would go off on another I-am-the-most-important-disciple kick, He gently reminded them they were not called to be masters lording over others. Instead, He called them to serve the least among them. He daily demonstrated this fact to them in how He interacted with them and the people.
The disciples struggled with this teaching because they thought, as Jesus’s right-hand men, they deserved to have the least of these serving them. This childish attitude came from a lifetime of the Jewish elite pushing them down and lording over them. Now they were the big wigs, Jesus chosen men, and they were all up for being the top dog others served.
However, Jesus never let them get away with it. Instead, He taught them what serving means and how to develop a servant’s heart.
When they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them, Jesus said this:
A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
(Luke 22:24-27, ESV)
Jesus even demonstrated servanthood when He washed their feet.
We are called to follow Jesus’ example. True leadership means being the first in line to serve others.
A real godly leader sacrifices for others. Their needs and desires take priority. He provides for his kids at his own expense. A godly leader sacrifices his wants, desires, and wishes for others. He lays down his life for others.
Our identity as men of God must require that we are godly leaders. To do this, we must cast off thoughts or desires of being a dictator or master. Instead, we need to serve and sacrifice for others.
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