What is my role as a servant of God?

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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.” (Mark 10:42-45)

What is my role as a servant of God? Last week we looked at our role as a child of God. This concept fascinates me. And I must admit I don’t usually meditate on my role as a servant of God. As a servant we are called to serve, we are called to serve God our creator and master. We are called to serve people, the church and the world. The life of a Christian should be about service, putting other people first. Clearly it is a huge responsibility and the enemy delights in keeping us distracted. By sending problems, challenges and negative experiences our way. Anything to shift the focus to self and neglect the assignments and tasks the Lord has given us that concern other individuals or groups of people.

Servant of God

One of the most important tasks Jesus left us with when He went up to heaven after His resurrection was the instruction in Matthew 28:18-19. Jesus said “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” A disciple is someone who believes in the ideas of a leader especially a religious or political one and tries to live according to those ideas. So one of our main responsibilities in not to merely create converts. But to teach them the commands the Jesus left plus mentor and coach them to be active followers of Jesus.

Serving others

God calls Christians to serve others and God equips us with spiritual gifts needed. The gifts we receive are for the body of Christ as a collective. And for the communities in which we worship and live. We should serve, guided by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the scriptures and our calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus on the night He was betrayed comforted the disciples by telling them He would send us the Holy Spirit. Who would teach us all things. The scriptures are our source of knowledge, it contains instructions and commands from God. Jesus expects us to feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, be welcoming to strangers, provide clothing, look after the sick and visit prisoners.

Thriving in the role of servant

Having audited my life in light of this subject matter, I realise I am doing quite poorly. I need to have a mind shift and a change of heart. The focus should be less on my problems and I should challenge myself to be of service to others. I should no longer look at my challenges as a stumbling block. But decide not to allow them become a mere distraction from my duties as a servant!