Matthew 20:26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.
“Discipleship means discipline!” – C S Lewis.
A disciple is endowed with servanthood. They are not self-seeking or power crazy, but have an attitude of service and servanthood. Servanthood is to put others first.
Servanthood is a mindset to serve the Lord with everything we do. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24). A disciple is a servant of King Jesus everywhere. So, a disciple will preach, sing or sweep as a service to the Lord. Service is not only pulpit ministry but also includes our daily chores. We must serve our corporation with the same servanthood mentality as we serve our church. Both ‘budgeting’ and ‘baking’ must be a service unto the Lord.
A disciple will not compete out of envy but serve in love. A disciple will never seek prominence or recognition but will take it as a privilege to serve. A disciple will not expect human applause or appreciation from man as their reward is from the Lord. A disciple will never give to get but their generosity will be energized by gratitude. Serving and giving will be in secret. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full (Matthew 6:2). Braggers are not disciples.
Jesus came as the Servant-King and is the perfect epitome of servanthood. He led by example. The night before He was arrested He did the most menial job of washing the dirty feed of the disciples which is the duty of a lowest ranking slave. Jesus then gave the disciples the most profound advice; Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet (John 13:14). He said “serve each other with humility and a servant attitude”. Three distinct qualities to be noticed in a disciple are selflessness, significance and servanthood.
Discipleship means discipline:
1. Selflessness: Putting others first and serving without expecting anything in return is selflessness. In selfless service there will be no hidden agenda and secret expectations of rewards or recognitions.
2. Significance: Successful people achieve their personal goals but significant people help others to reach their goals. Significance is about encouraging, coaching and training others into success. Disciples strive significance not just personal promotion and success.
3. Servanthood: Servanthood is serving humanity, in humility, unto the Lord.
Disciples must discipline themselves to overcome selfish ambitions and to serve with humility. The attitude of servanthood is not just success but significance.
Matthew 20:27 “And whoever wants to be first among you let him be a servant to you.”
Prayer: Jesus My Saviour, teach me to put on the cloak of servanthood and serve selflessly. Let there be not even a hint of pride, ego or selfish ambition in me. Amen.
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