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Tag: Attitude of servitude

Service over Success

Toward the end of his life, it is said that, Albert Einstein removed the portraits of two renowned scientists – Isaac Newton and James Maxwell – from his wall and replaced them with portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Schweitzer. Einstein explained that it was time to replace the image of success with the image of service. He is also believed to have said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” He encouraged others to live in service to others, in service to their spouses, their children, their community and to the world.

Anyone that is remembered in the annals of history had one common thread that epitomized them and that is “service”. They served God and they served people. Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, is the perfect role model (example) of a life that was lived for others; in service to God and to man. He Himself expressed that He had not come to be served but to serve. No one really gets remembered for their success stories, but still we strive hard and harder to get a name for ourselves and be successful.  It is time that we replace the image(s) of what we deem as success with an image of Jesus Christ, that we can gaze on, all the days of our lives and emulate His attitude of servitude. Only then will the life that we have lived be worthwhile.

I desire that the epitaph on my tombstone reads “Here lies a servant [of God and man]!“. What is your desire?

Matthew 20:26-28 (KJV)
26
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
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And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
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Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered (served) unto, but to minister (serve), and to give his life a ransom for many.

John 13:13-15 (KJV)
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Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
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If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
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For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Seek, Save and Serve – Attitude of servitude

Jesus came not only to Seek the lost and to Save the lost (Luke 19:10), but also to serve God and His people. Jesus served God and none other as is evident in his confrontation with Satan wherein He verbally expressed that one should worship the Lord God and Him Only shalt one serve (Luke 4:8). Jesus also came to serve man and He demonstrated this by washing His disciple’s feet and affirming that He (the Son of man) came not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28)

And as imitators of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:1) we are to do the same, seek the lost, save the lost and serve God and one another.

The questions that remain then are this! How are we to serve Serve God? and How are we to serve one another? The Scripture gives us the answer. We are to serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind. (1 Chronicles 28:9) and we are to serve one another with humility as Jesus demonstrated by washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:1-14).

What is our attitude of servitude? Is it with a perfect heart, a willing mind and a humble Spirit?

1 Chronicles 28:9 (KJV)
9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

John 13:14 (KJV)
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

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