My servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely.
Numbers 14:24 (NCV)Think of youdselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
Philippians 2:5 (The Message)
For some reason, I’ve put off posting this chapter. I think I had to process Day 33, thinking through the implications of serving while having a public profile.
Rick Warren today, in Day 34 of the Purpose Driven Life, addresses the attitudes that mark genuine servants:
Thinking more about others more than ourselves.
Rick points out how difficult it is to move beyond manipulation, in which we serve others to achieve our goals or to win admiration. I appreciate Rick’s honest confession that humility is a daily struggle. I’m with him on that one. I suspect that some people don’t have the same struggle, but for me I find it hard to practice self-denial.
Thinking like stewards, not owners.
“If you’re a servant of God, you can’t moonlight for yourself”. Challenging words. Especially to a blogger building an online income. Am I developing an income for my own ends, as a wealth builder, or is this part of what Rick calls Kingdom building?
Thinking about our work, not what others are doing.
I have a vivid memory from childhood in which my younger brother was mucking around while I was busy hanging out the washing. I complained to my mother about his lack of attention. She told me to focus on doing my own task, and not to worry about his. Using the story of Mary and Martha, Rick reminds us that it is not our job to evaluate the Master’s other servants.
Basing our identity in Christ.
With the poise that comes from living in God’s acceptance and grace, there’s freedom to serve without posing. No need for name dropping. No point in impressing with qualifications, experience, titles or other symbols of status.
Thinking of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
Serving gladly. That’s the byproduct of the other attitudes.