Servant

Of all of the names for Christ, this one confounds me the most. How is it possible that the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, came to be a servant?

That doesn't make sense to our human minds, does it? The world views a servant as "less-than." A servant puts the wishes of those he serves above his own interests and simply fulfills his given task. A servant isn't something people dream of becoming. There isn't a degree program for servitude that college students can't wait to attain.

Why would the King of all creation lower himself to such a state? Matthew 20:28 puts it succinctly, "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Christ became a servant for the same reason He did everything--to give His life as a ransom for ours. He lowered himself to the role of a servant so that we could find salvation.

What love is that?? My mind will never fully comprehend, but I am so eternally grateful.

Christ, the Servant, is our ultimate example for all things we should strive to be, which gives even more meaning to the name "Servant." Matthew 20:26-27 gives us clarity on how we can apply this example of who Christ is to our lives, saying, "whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave" (ESV).

The world we live in glorifies success and status, but God desires so much more from us than worldly success. To be great in God's eyes, we must have humility that puts others first, the way Christ did. God wants us to share His love with the world by serving like Jesus.

What are some ways you can serve others this week? List three ways you can help someone in your family or your community, something that doesn't elevate you or bring you glory, but instead is more about the person you're serving that yourself. Now, choose one of those things and make a plan for completing that task this week. Set a deadline for yourself, and then get to work to make it happen!

When we selflessly serve others, we become a little more like Christ, the Servant. That, my friend, should be our life goal.

This piece was originally published at Joy in Faithful Living in 2020. They have graciously granted us full permission to re-publish the series here, but we would love for you to visit their site and support their ministry, as well! Check out their work at joyinfaithfulliving.com.