Do you have the heart of a servant? Your initial response might be, “Of course I do.” There are many references in the Bible where it tells us to serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 says, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This scripture has been my life scripture since childhood. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to serve the Lord. Throughout my life, I have tried to operate from a place of serving God and others.
In the New King James Version (NKJV) the word “serve” is mentioned 214 times and the word “service” is mentioned 105 times. That is a lot of references and I believe God instructs us as to how we are to serve Him as well as those around us. Two scripture references, Deuteronomy 11:13 and Psalm 100:2, indicate we are to serve with gladness and with all our hearts and souls.
The word “serve” means to perform duties or services for another person or organization; the word “service” means the action of helping or doing work for someone. A great example of someone who serves and is in the service is someone in the military. When we give our lives to the Lord, we are enlisted into the Army of God. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, we are called good soldiers of Jesus Christ, and God enlisted us as soldiers. As believers, we should have the same qualities as a military person. Let’s look at what we can glean from a military person’s commitment and see if that helps us to better serve our Lord.
Soldiers are disciplined and committed. The first stop on their way to becoming solders is boot camp or basic training. New recruits are prepared for service and are given the basic tools necessary to perform their duties and roles. They are prepared physically, mentally, and emotionally. Their orientation consists of medical and dental exams, and they are fitted for the right uniform. As an example, a marine doesn’t receive an army uniform and visa versa. Boot camp equips the recruits to become soldiers—to be strong and capable. They believe in a cause more important than themselves, drop everything when they are called, and are committed to the cause as their lives are no longer their own. Shouldn’t this be the same for believers?
I think we should have a boot camp for Christians. It would consist of similar attributes such as believing in a cause greater than ourselves; believing in what God’s Word says about the Great Commission—healing, prosperity, and deliverance; learning how to spend one-on-one time alone with God and having Him reveal scriptures and bring them to life; teaching the Bible and learning to study and meditate on God’s truths; and joining other believers (or soldiers) in God’s army. We are fitted with the right uniform when we put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11). Paul instructs us to put on God’s armor, not our own. When we enter a battle, we can’t do it in our own strength or armor, but when we are fitted with God’s armor, we can face any battle.
Our mission should be to change the atmosphere and open the eyes of the spiritually blind and set the prisoners free from bondage. Sickness is bondage. Here are four practical steps for having a servant’s heart:
- Keep your eyes focused on Jesus (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to earth to serve others and is a great example.
- To be great, you must put yourself last (Mark 9:35 & John 13:35). We are His disciples when we serve others, put others first, and put ourselves last.
- Love others the way God loves (John 15:12-13 & 1 Corinthians 10:24). When we obey God’s commandments, we demonstrate our love for God and exhibit a servant’s heart.
- Use the gifts you’ve received (1 Peter 4:10) God gave each of us gifts to touch the hearts of others to draw them to Him.
Serving others and following Jesus’ examples is having a servant’s heart!
~Donna Jones