Servants or stars
OPINION —
Despite his prominent leadership role in the early church, the Apostle Paul was never guilty of pomposity. Not once did he insist that fellow Christians think of him as the “Big Cheese.” He never asked for a dime to erect anything that would perpetuate his name. On the contrary, he asked others to think of him as a servant of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:1).
Like his Lord, Paul’s first concern was the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdom of Paul. He did everything in his power to make known the name of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything else was rubbish compared to “knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection.”
Paul promoted servanthood and he practiced it. He was the first Christian who may have said, “My Boss is a Jewish carpenter.” For Paul nothing was more important than to take up his cross and “go make disciples of all nations” – even if it would cost him his life. And it did.
In recent years the word “servant” has been glamorized. We have tempered the word “leader” by adding the word “servant.” But there remains the temptation for “servant leaders” to think of themselves as more important than the common people. Satan entices us to crave recognition and praise for our hard work. Some, denied the recognition they felt they deserved, have even left the church.
Older translations of the Bible reveal that Paul used the word “slave” rather than servant to identify himself. By identifying himself as a “slave of Christ,” Paul showed his heart. He had surrendered entirely to the mastery of his Lord Jesus. Jesus was everything to Paul. And why not? To him, Jesus was the visible expression of the invisible God, the One before whom “every knee will bow” one day.
To borrow a phrase from Paul, some of us are prone to think of ourselves “more highly than we ought to think.” Satan is surely delighted when we imagine that Jesus should be proud to have us on his team. But this is not a new problem. It was what Paul addressed when he wrote of the danger of being “puffed up in favor of one against another.” We get puffed up when we think we are better than others. Slaves, on the other hand, are less likely to get puffed up about anything.
Instead of foolishly comparing ourselves to others, and stimulating resentment in the fellowship, we may join with Paul in seeing ourselves as servants and stewards living under the Lordship of Jesus. As trustworthy stewards, we can recognize that whatever we have is not actually ours but a gift on loan from God. He expects us to be faithful stewards, serving responsibly with gratitude for the mercy he has shown us.
Puffed up people find ways to dodge servanthood. They want control; it’s their way or the highway. They desire power more than an opportunity to serve. They delight in telling fellow Christians what to do rather than bowing humbly to the will of Jesus. And this attitude weakens the church’s witness.
Mother Teresa showed us how to live as a slave of Jesus. After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, she declined many invitations to be “wined and dined” for her work with the poor. Her service to the dying was more important than attending banquets to be honored for her achievements.
Among Methodists Harry Denman was a modern-day servant of Jesus. He never owned a car or a home. He had but one suit and one coat. He spent his life telling people about his friend Jesus. When he retired from serving as head of evangelism for the Methodist Church, his friends held a great dinner to honor him. Hundreds came and enjoyed a delicious meal. But Harry was not there. He was miles away preaching about his friend Jesus in a little country church.
Among us today there are many who are faithful, humble servants of Jesus. If we are willing to humble ourselves, we can model that winsome lifestyle. We may not do it as well as Paul did, but we can work at it. It all begins with a willingness to think of ourselves as servants of Jesus, not “star” witnesses. Paul did it. Teresa did it. Harry did it. You and I can do it, too.
