“Rank is given you to enable you to better serve those above and below you….” (General Bruce C. Clarke, USA, Ret).
Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others. H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Basic Christianity 101
Becoming A Servant In Christ
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
John 13: 1-17 THE MESSAGE BIBLE
In John 13 when Jesus was with His friends in the upper room, He humbled Himself and washed their feet. Scripture shows us that His ability to model servanthood was based on His absolute security in His identity. When Jesus rose from the table and began to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:4), He was doing the work of the lowliest of servants.
Jesus knew “that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God” (verse 3). Later in verse 14 He said, “now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
“Jesus stood with a towel over His arm and modeled how
someone in a leadership role can have the greatest impact on people.” – Bill Johnson
- Many ways we show Gods love in a practical way
Bills motto in life is “Royalty is my identity; Servanthood is my assignment and Intimacy with God is my life source.
He went on to say, “Rule with the heart of a servant. Serve with the heart of a king.”
Whatever your assignment in life is as a follower of Christ we are to do with a servant’s heart. Servanthood is the foundation for all leadership and influence.
Servant leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives. Never belittle the creation that God invested so much in.
‘…but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.’” Mark 10:43
Jesus’ leadership was based on the fact that He had come to serve.
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
We are charged to help others learn to partner with God through the filling, in-dwelling, and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
“If you help people get what they want, they will help you get what you want.” – Zig Ziglar
John C. Maxwell, 2019 named the #1 leadership guru as well as author of over 75 best-selling books on leadership defines leadership, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.”
So, if leadership is influence, you might be asking yourself, “How do I influence others?” Think about someone who positively influenced your life. What behavior or words were so impactful to you that you were influenced to become a better person?
What matters most when it comes to influence is having a positive attitude.
Your attitude is contagious, and a positive attitude can shift the entire energy of a church. Think about the last time someone with a negative attitude walked into the room you were in – you most likely “felt” that negative attitude without even having that person speak one word. That’s why John emphasizes the importance of a positive attitude for leaders.
As long as I have known Rhonda, her spirit is so uplifting. She is infused with life and always encouraging Sheryl and I. Part of the responsibilities of an elder is not one of correction and rule. It is to assist and advise.
An elder is a shield of protection for their pastors. An elder is not a YES person but a local level of mutual accountability. She embodies the spirit of a servant. She reflects God’s glory and infects people with hope, possibility, and destiny. Her smile emulates the love of the father.
Albert Einstein, who was awarded the Nobel prize for physics in 1921, said, “only a life lived in the service of others is worth living.”
WHAT IS A SERVANT LEADER?
A servant leader’s focus is on serving others rather than serving themselves or being served by others. A servant leader meets people where they are at so they can climb to the top alongside them rather than charging ahead.
Maxwell wrote that his shift into a servant-leadership role happened when “he started to change his leadership focus to empowering others to do what he was doing.”
Servant leaders don’t want to be successful all on their own. Servant leaders are looking to build a team not an empire, because they know once they build the team, success follows.
“When you decide to serve others as a leader,
the team’s success becomes your success.” – John C. Maxwell
Kouzes and Posner (Leadership Challenge) define servant leadership as, I love this, “A leader whose actions and motivations reflect a selfless commitment to a cause, an organization or their teammate.”
All Servant Leaders want to do is add value to others
Dave Ramsey, financial expert, said, “It’s servant leadership, not subservient leadership.”
When you think as a true servant leader, it’s all about being other centered. You move from overpowering people to empowering people
Mark Cole, CEO of John Maxwell’s companies, describes servant leadership this way:
Servanthood is about attitude.
He explains, “We’ve all encountered people in service positions with poor attitudes toward servanthood: the rude worker at the government agency, the waiter who can’t be bothered with taking your order, the store clerk who talks on the phone with a friend instead of helping you.
Just as you can sense when a worker doesn’t want to help people, you can easily detect whether someone has a servant’s heart. When you encounter a worker who has the attitude of a servant leader, everything changes.”
A church full of faithful servants literally changes its DNA
Apostle Paul said, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal 1:10)”
Andrew: Goes the extra mile in everything he does. He serves the church as unto the Lord. His intentions are pure, his demeanor is not demanding attention. He takes care of the yard work and basically whatever I ask of him.
Roberta and Yvette: Sacrifice listening to the most inspirational minister in the Maritimes! LOL to volunteer in IC KIDS CHURCH and cleaning the church.
Dave: Has taken on the media responsibilities which has been a tremendous help. And others such as Ray, Annabelle (ICKIDS), Paul, Debbie Val, JeanAnn who greet, mop the floors, cut grass. Others are rising up.
5 Qualifiers for a Servant
- A Servant leader must examine themselves for intent or motive. What drives you? Are you motivated by serving and empowering the people around you to be successful, or are you motivated by a desire to obtain recognition? A true servant can care less about being acknowledged. Your intent will reveal itself in your daily agenda and everything you say and do.
- A Servant leader must be physically and emotionally present with their team.
A traditional leader might provide instruction and guidance to their team. A servant leader does all that and then makes themselves available to provide additional support in executing the work. Servant leaders are fully engaged in what their team members are doing. They are 110% all in.
3.Servant leaders provide for the needs of the people
The provision could come in the form of tools and resources to do their job, personal development to help them grow as people, and even help to remove obstacles that hinder them in their personal lives.
4.) Servant leaders are known for their ability to care. They care about their people first and anything that affects their people. Servant leaders care for how their people work and where they work. With a high level of care, a servant leader puts the needs of others first and helps put others in a position to win.
5.) Servant leaders reward those on their team. They reward and celebrate the efforts, progress, and results of people on their team. Traditional leaders also reward, but it is usually focused on results only. When you reward effort and progress, you promote a growth mindset in others. People will engage at a higher level and invest in their growth to help improve their performance.
Adding value changes lives and that is the goal of Impact Church.
Darryl Hartley-Leonard who retired as chairman of the Board of Hyatt Hotels said, “When a person moves into a position of authority, he or she gives up the right to abuse people.”
We add value to others when we know and relate to what others value. In other words, we care about what they care about.
Management consultant Nancy Austin says that once when she looked under the bed in her hotel room, she found a card that said, “Yes we clean under here too.” The housekeeping staff had anticipated what was important to her and had served her well.
Servanthood is not what you can see but what you can’t see
Lastly, we add value to others when we do things that God values.
Matthew 25:35-40
New International Version
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
