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“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor,
but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you
are serving.” - Colossians 3:22-24, NIV
In service we engage our goods and strength in the active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in our world.
We serve one another to train ourselves away from arrogance, possessiveness, envy, resentment, or covetousness. Service is
very useful for the Christians who find themselves – as most of us be necessity must – in the “lower”
positions in society, at work, and in the church. Service can train us in habits of loving service to others and free us from
resentment, enabling us in faith to enjoy our position and work because of its exalted meaning before God. In God’s
eyes, the work we do for friends, our church, even at work and for our family, is done to Him, and the way God sees the world,
that is how it is! We do our work for our Lover and Father and King!
Can this be applied by the mother of six who must leave her little children uncared for in a derelict neighborhood to support
them by scrubbing office floors at night? Can it be applied to the refugee from Central America who pushes his ice cream cart
around the neighborhood, ringing his bell as he goes? Yes, it can, if they have heard and received from the heart the gospel
of the Kingdom of God.
Yet this command is far more important for those in positions of leadership. It is far more important to those in positions
of influence and power and prestige.
“But Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over
the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your
servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but
to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." ” - Matthew 20:25-28, NLT
It is easy to misunderstand these as instructions on how to be great. Instead Jesus is giving a statement on how those who
are great behave! To be “great” and to live as a servant is one of the most difficult of spiritual achievements.
Nevertheless, it is also the pattern of life for which this bruised and aching world waits and without which it will never
manage even a decent existence. It is so difficult to be powerful without corrupting the soul – but it is what Jesus
calls us to; it is the example the King of the Earth has lain down for us!
(John 13:14 KJV) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
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