Have We Forgotten What It Means to Be a Servant?

Even as leaders, it’s possible to fall into the trap of delegating the things you don’t want to do because there is someone else to do it. We can also risk falling into “Its Beneath Me Syndrome.” However, Jesus’ willingness to serve his disciples in this manner teaches us a lesson. If the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, God incarnate, could wash the dirty feet of his disciples, then we should do the same thing as well. There should be nothing that we feel is “beneath us.”

It can be all too easy to pass on the lowly, dirty work to someone else, especially as leaders. It is also possible to put more emphasis on serving those who lead and neglect others. This is backwards in the way we serve and who we serve. Let me remind you of how we should view everyone in the body of Christ.

If you are going to cultivate a servant’s heart, then you serve everyone and you go to extra lengths to serve those who we may deem less deserving. 

2. A Servant Serves from a Place of Humility, not a Place of Authority

In Jesus’ situation, the disciples should have been serving him and washing his feet. After all, he was Lord, and they were not. However, he set an example for us to follow that you don’t just serve the deserving, you also serve the undeserving.

For a moment, consider the role Jesus took. He did the least glamorous work reserved for the lowest of people. By doing this, he was serving from a place of humility. He set aside his place of authority as Teacher and Lord and got on his knees to wash their dirty feet. This tells me there is no position too great that alleviates you from serving. He could have easily delegated this responsibility to someone else, but he took it upon himself because he was leading by example. 

What would it look like for the church to embrace this role of servant? Let’s make it more personal. What would it look like for you to embrace this role of servant?

In today’s culture, both in the church and in the world, if I were to teach on how to be great, that might fill arenas or churches. But if I said the path to greatness in God’s kingdom is by becoming a servant of all, that may not get too many amens. However, this is what Jesus said, what he did, and what he calls you to do. Maybe it’s time to remove the volunteer label and embrace calling each other servants. After all, being a servant of Jesus and a servant of others is exactly what God wants us to do.

More from this author
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Have We Turned Our Favorite Preachers and Teachers into Idols?
5 Things to Remember as You Wait on God

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Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a dynamic speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club, dedicated to helping people live with purpose and clarity. In addition to his ministry work, Clarence has spent the last 13 years as a trusted financial educator, guiding thousands of people across the country—including employees at many Fortune 500 companies—toward lasting financial wellness. His unique ability to blend practical wisdom with spiritual insight equips people to thrive in every area of life.

He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.