17.Aug.2009 The Spirit of Servanthood
Servanthood
Matthew 12:17-21:This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world.”
Jesus gave us the perfect example of servanthood. He showed us that being a servant requires sacrifice. Sacrifice is hard. We have to give up our selfish desires in order to accomplish what it is God has called us to do. Jesus gave up Heaven; He gave up a kingdom for us.
Do you want to do something for God? Serve.
God chooses servants. That does not mean He chooses who should serve and who should not. No, it means He chooses servants to do His will. He chooses those whose hearts are submitted to Him and who are not tied down to earthly desires. The spirit of a servant does things not to be seen but to bring glory to God.
God’s heart is for people. A servant serves people. A person with a heart of a servant serves the people of God for not and no other reason. These people step out of selfishness to do unselfish things, content in the fact that God is watching and is pleased. They shun lime light and accolade. They simply want glory to be brought to God.
The verse above states that he will not break a “bruised reed.” A bruised reed is someone who has been hurt by the world; who has fallen away from God and become beat up by the storms of life. This person comes back to the House, broken and in pain, searching for healing. All too often, I’m sorry to say, they only find judgment. Christians have forgotten that we need to hide our knowledge of being “in” with God. With the best of intentions, we come across as self-righteous and judgmental. That is not what a broken reed needs. A broken reed needs love and acceptance. God’s people who have the spirit of a servant on them give that love. They are attracted to the broken-hearted and desire to help them heal. It is a wondrous thing when you are used by God to bring healing to a broken reed. That is the power of God flowing through you because of your servant’s heart.
The verses above also speak of the “smoldering wick.” This represents a person who was once on fire for God, who once had a dream and a passion, and somehow lost it. In the storms of life, they hold onto that spark. The one with a servant’s heart will gently fan that spark into a flame. God is the bringer of hope. He is not out to crush dreams. He works through His people to gently bring the dream back to life through love, acceptance, and healing.
Those with the spirit of service are powerful people. They carry God’s favor through good times and bad. They have the power to change the world. A servant did change the world! Barnabas, a servant of God with the gift of encouragement, believed in Paul when no one else would. He submitted to God’s call, took Paul under his wing, encouraged him and served him and helped him to grow into the one God would use to send the message of Christ throughout the world. If Barnabas had not submitted his selfish desires to God, he would not have been used in such a mighty way.
Jesus believes in us every day, even if we make mistakes. He encourages us. He served us by coming to earth and showing us love. His spirit is the spirit of an encourager; His spirit is the spirit of a servant. Submit to that spirit. Instead of holding to selfish ambition and judging others, love them, accept them, submit, and allow God to work through you to bring healing to the bruised reed and life back to the smoldering wick.
