Praying for a Servant's Heart
A servant is one who
serves others. Servants need to obey, be loyal to the master or calling, be
listening, and be faithful.
There are numerous
examples of Jesus serving others while here on earth. Washing the disciples’
feet was an act of service. This required him to humble himself and get dirty.
On two occasions Jesus fed the multitudes. He was meeting the needs of those
around him.
Having a servant’s
heart could require sacrifice. Christ came to serve, and for him that service
meant giving up his life as a sacrifice. (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45) He was
obedient in that act of service. (Philippians 2:5-7). He did something for us
that we could not do for ourselves. A servant meets the needs of others, which
might not be the same as their own needs.
We need to serve
with the right heart attitude. Martha was distracted from Jesus while she was
busy serving. (Luke 10:40) We need to guard that our service doesn’t distract
us from worship.
Having a servant’s
heart requires that we put aside our own selfish desires. Servants cannot be
selfish.
There is not much
written about Epaphroditus, but from the little we see in Scripture we know
that he was serving Paul by meeting some of Paul’s needs. It was not easy for
him, as during this time he became ill and Paul describes it as “near to
death.” (Philippians 2:25-30) He is an example of a believer who has a
servant’s heart.
A servant’s heart is a heart that is aware of
the needs of those around him and uses his gifts and talents to meet those
needs. A servant’s heart is marked by compassion, giving, and loving. A
servant’s heart knows that his reward is not necessarily here on earth.
Do you look for
opportunities to serve others? It might be small areas or it might be big
areas. Are you willing to get dirty to serve others?
For others in this series:
Beth
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