A Servants Attitude.
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45.
Do you have a servants attitude?
A few years ago now I had a pastor that attended a pastoral convention. Going there his airline lost his luggage and he was forced to attend the first meeting wearing a jacket white shirt and blue jeans. He just happened to be one of the speakers so he found himself on the stage.
He was neat and tidy but he looked around him and seen everyone in a suit and tie all the same. As he looked at those pastors on the stage and off, he realized there was a disconnect between the pastors and the general public.
At the same time he realized that some people didn’t come to church because they thought they had to dress a particular way, ie in suit and tie.
He then noted that most of the churches he visited had special parking places for their pastors near the church entrance. There were also other odds and ends pastors seemed to get treated too that the average person in the congregation didn’t get.
None of these things were wrong in themselves. In fact it even showed respect to the pastor.
Still he came back to his congregation and eliminated his parking spot. He told his pastoral staff to dress casual rather than in a suit all the time. He encouraged people to come to church as they were.
He became more available to people.
He started two services one a traditional one with hymns. The other with more contemporary music.
It lead to a change within the congregation as a whole. People were no longer worried about coming to church in their “Sunday best”. People from various walks of life noticed and started coming.
Word got out that people were accepted as they are. The result of those changes and his very dynamic speaking cause the church to grow.
God’s hand was on that church. The pastoral staff regard themselves as servants and it permeated the whole church.
It essentially stemmed back to what Jesus said,
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45.
When people see people with a servants attitude they tend to respect them.
A servants attitude however is not always easy for many people.
I am now a retired professional clown and magician. I attended occasions from children’s birthday parties to major events. In the houses of poor people, to people with great wealth.
When people hired me I became their servant for however long I was there. I was hired as the entertainment and that was all. For me that was fine.
There were times when I was offered a drink or something to eat but I never expected it. All I expected was my pay.
I took on a partner that unfortunately couldn’t see that we were servants. She quite often would leave the event and grumble that we were not offered anything. As a result our partnership was short lived.
As Christians no matter how long we have known the Lord we need to realize that we are servants, especially any of us who are in leadership positions.
Once we take that servants attitude to heart our ministry for the Lord improves drastically.
Francis of Assisi wrote,
While Francis of Assisi’s work is not from scripture it reflects Christian principles we all should be practising.
Please think about it.
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45.
Do you have a servants attitude?
A few years ago now I had a pastor that attended a pastoral convention. Going there his airline lost his luggage and he was forced to attend the first meeting wearing a jacket white shirt and blue jeans. He just happened to be one of the speakers so he found himself on the stage.
He was neat and tidy but he looked around him and seen everyone in a suit and tie all the same. As he looked at those pastors on the stage and off, he realized there was a disconnect between the pastors and the general public.
At the same time he realized that some people didn’t come to church because they thought they had to dress a particular way, ie in suit and tie.
He then noted that most of the churches he visited had special parking places for their pastors near the church entrance. There were also other odds and ends pastors seemed to get treated too that the average person in the congregation didn’t get.
None of these things were wrong in themselves. In fact it even showed respect to the pastor.
Still he came back to his congregation and eliminated his parking spot. He told his pastoral staff to dress casual rather than in a suit all the time. He encouraged people to come to church as they were.
He became more available to people.
He started two services one a traditional one with hymns. The other with more contemporary music.
It lead to a change within the congregation as a whole. People were no longer worried about coming to church in their “Sunday best”. People from various walks of life noticed and started coming.
Word got out that people were accepted as they are. The result of those changes and his very dynamic speaking cause the church to grow.
God’s hand was on that church. The pastoral staff regard themselves as servants and it permeated the whole church.
It essentially stemmed back to what Jesus said,
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45.
When people see people with a servants attitude they tend to respect them.
A servants attitude however is not always easy for many people.
I am now a retired professional clown and magician. I attended occasions from children’s birthday parties to major events. In the houses of poor people, to people with great wealth.
When people hired me I became their servant for however long I was there. I was hired as the entertainment and that was all. For me that was fine.
There were times when I was offered a drink or something to eat but I never expected it. All I expected was my pay.
I took on a partner that unfortunately couldn’t see that we were servants. She quite often would leave the event and grumble that we were not offered anything. As a result our partnership was short lived.
As Christians no matter how long we have known the Lord we need to realize that we are servants, especially any of us who are in leadership positions.
Once we take that servants attitude to heart our ministry for the Lord improves drastically.
Francis of Assisi wrote,
“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
Francis of Assisi.While Francis of Assisi’s work is not from scripture it reflects Christian principles we all should be practising.
Please think about it.
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