Servant leadership is about self-denial and grace . . .

Genesis 21; Nehemiah 10; Matthew 20; Acts 20

The mother of James and John asked Jesus to promote her sons to places of honor. He told her that was not for Him to do. Of course the others were indignant, probably because they didn’t think of it first.

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25–28)

In politics today, serving might be a word used but the model Jesus gave is different from those who do whatever they can to gain the vote and become political authorities. For many, any serving motivation they might have had turns into a power trip or worse, a line-my-pockets determination.

Jesus was never like that. He served to the end, dying for our greatest need — that we might be forgiven of our sin so we can spend eternity with Him. He talked about being a servant/slave to all, but He was never as a yes-man, servile and smiling in agreement, helping everyone get what they want. He knows our hearts and knows our needs better than we do. He served to that end, to meet our real needs, not our felt needs or any selfish demands.

Christian leadership is about self-denial. Those who think “what’s in it for me” should not be there. They might be gifted in many ways but self-serving disqualifies even the most ‘qualified’ because God will not bless their efforts.

Having this devotional time with God is supposed to be seeking His voice for my life, listening for whatever He is saying to me, whether instruction, a rebuke, encouragement or comfort. Yet today, I cannot help but think of my sister and how she fit this servant/leader model. She was one of those rare people who could make things happen by enabling others to do it. Not only that, they loved her for pushing them into doing work that they would never had done without her leading them. She was gifted to lead, but also to give. Her generosity of heart went well with her servant heart. As our brother says, “She was one of a kind.”

Thinking of her helps me hear the voice of the Lord through a live person. Oh, she is not alive here, but she is with Jesus and very much alive. Her life is a conduit for what Jesus is saying to me; self-denial is not dependent on personality, spiritual gifts, obeying God’s laws, or even being a strong people-person. It is a choice between walking in the Spirit and relying on the flesh.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23)

Self-control is self under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ. I need more of that and can be reminded of what it looks like by thinking about my sister and thanking our Savior for His grace that made her the way she is. 

The One who makes faith in Christ possible

It is possible to have devotions or a ‘quiet time’ with the Lord and yet not be there at all. It is possible to read and write about the Holy Spirit and never sense His presence. It is possible to pray without thinking deeply of the One who hears and answers prayer. Why is this so and what must be done to overcome this lack of relationship with the One who opens our hearts to spiritual truth and to the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ?

In the beginning of the church, after Jesus died and rose again and after He ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit came with great power . . .

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1–4)

While Christians argue about who has the Spirit and whether we should or can speak in tongues, I’ve not (yet) heard anyone say that the Spirit came then went away. He is still here, still able to fill God’s people with Himself, and still give us the ability to do what we could never do without Him.

Tozer says, “Our insensibility to the presence of the Spirit is one of the greatest losses our unbelief and preoccupation have cost us. We have made Him a tenet in our creed, we have enclosed Him in a religious word, but we have known Him very little in personal experience.”

Christianity is hindered by conflicting opinions about the Spirit. We debate the ways in which He manifests Himself without thinking that the issue is not what He does but who He is. The Bible clearly speaks of Him as a person, as God subsisting in a form that can get inside ourselves and make the Father known to us through the reality of the Son.

The Spirit makes Himself known by action: producing miracles, healing, speaking in tongues, giving gifts such as words of wisdom and deepened faith. These can be craved and even imitated but are never powerful unless the power of the Holy Spirit is behind them. Our focus needs to be on the Giver, not the gifts. Without Him, I am not able to do anything for the Lord.

This power is also not about ‘feeling’ His presence. While that can be helpful, assuring, motivating, I can operate in the fullness of Him without being aware of Him. Living and walking in the Spirit is a faith thing, no longer flames of fire above heads or dramatic signs and wonders. While these can and do happen, the true test of the Holy Spirit is the fruit He produces:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

This fruit describes every day stuff. It affects how I treat my family, how I interact with others, how I treat those who serve me at the grocery store and in the doctor’s office. I may not have this wonderful sense of Holy Spirit power, but the fruit of the Spirit is not for me anyway but for bestowing God on others.

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Lord Jesus, I thank You for sending the Holy Spirit and for His grace and power for all things — astounding miracles or simple daily life. How blessed I am to know You.

Curing ‘I don’t want to-itis’

Some mornings I don’t want to approach the Word of God. I don’t want to pray. It isn’t that my to-do list is long or that I’ve done something that makes me feel ashamed. It’s more like a hungry child that does not want to eat his supper. He knows it is good for him, but he’s had enough of the discipline of doing the right thing.

This is the biggest reason I appreciate this passage from the New Testament. It speaks to me about what is going on when I am reluctant toward spiritual disciplines . . .

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:6–11)

Humble yourselves. Prior verses talk about pride. Humility is knowing how badly I need God. Humility recognizes that His Word is vital to my spiritual strength, daily attitude and general well-being. A friend used to say: “Miss devotions for a day and God knows it. Miss two days and I know it. Miss three days and everyone knows it.”

Mighty hand of God. Dare I forget that He is sovereign and controls whatever comes my way? Dare I forget that I am His child and He wants the best for me? Dare I forget that the best days of my life are about Him?

Casting all my anxieties . . . on who or what else? Where can I take the things that worry me? Can anyone else do or fix the problems? Most people don’t even want to listen to them, never mind help me out!

Be sober-minded. As Tozer says, this is the attitude of mind when calm reason is in control. The Spirit of God gives this amazing peace that can face life without getting in a flap. He not only gives love, joy, peace and the other fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), but also a sober mind from an enlightened ability to be rational and think through whatever I am feeling and doing. Life has clarity, not a dull sense of ‘I don’t want to’ but an eagerness to spend time with the One who created me and wrote the instruction book for living.

Your adversary . . . prowls. This is the biggest key to my negativity. Somehow, the devil gets into my head and twists my thinking. If he cannot create rebellion, he creates complacency. If he cannot build my pride, he makes me feel like a doormat. He does not want me to trust God in my trials but become discouraged and start thinking that God does not care.

God of all grace . . . will restore . . . It helps to know that others experience the same trials, but the greatest blessing is that ‘this too shall pass’ — for God Himself has a plan. When my trials have fulfilled their purpose, He will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish me. One of those words means to give me a firm determination — take away the lackadaisical and bad attitudes and produce in me a great desire to give Him greater dominion in my life.

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Jesus, thank You for this wonderful reminder of how much I need You. I am not mighty. I need someone to talk to about things that trouble me and give all things rational thought. I also must realize that my adversary is putting clouds into my thinking, but You are firming my resolve to build my faith and resist him. The only way to do that is by keeping my sWORD sharp and my eyes on You.