Seven minutes with the morning news ... was enough to send me surfing to find relief? Then it dawned on me, the power button works quite well. I leaned back and took a deep breath. What can one person do to change the tide of evil on this planet? Where can one voice be found to have its greatest advantage to do the most good? Where is the servant? What is the servants heart not treated with great valuation?
"Behold my SERVANT, whom I have chosen: my Beloved in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Nations." Matthew 12:18
The Media is really good at depicting the leader as a "boisterous, take charge at the top" kind of individual; and we buy into this worldly picture of strong leadership. A man with the fortitude to stand out, and the courage to "shout out" is the one to follow (even if he doesn't really care about anyone other than himself), right? The one who makes the most noise gets the most camera time and therefore ... he must be an effective leader? Once again, Why is the servant pictured as the wimp and the loser?
"He shall not strive (engage in strife), nor cry (raise the volume of his opinion), neither shall any man hear (there is an inability to truly hear) his voice in the streets." Matthew 12:19
How many opportunities are there at the top? At the top there are very few peers, but plenty of critics. At the top there can be a multitude of pretend followers just waiting for "a fall" to be ready to snatch up the former leader's position. So many "so called" leaders seem way to eager to step on as many followers as they can to march their way up the ladder of success. One sided networking is owned by this type of leader, and many wounded informants are left to flounder and struggle along the way.
The Mantra of these leaders could have sound bites like this: "Get what you can from everyone you can." "Ignore, those who have nothing to offer." "Quarantine the lame, the maimed, the halt, and the blind they are in the way of true success." "Anyone that stumbles and falls move them and their personal embarrassment to the roadside where they can be cared for by the uniformed, servant, good Samaritan". Why is the servant labeled as uninformed, foolish, and a potential waste of resources?
"A bruised reed shall He not break, and a smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory." Matthew 12:20
"We don't have time to train people, we are not a rehab, we just hire right!" was blurted out by a "Boss" who soon lost his position. "We are not in the business of coddling and comforting the feeble, we are here to raise up an army of Victorious Warriors." echoing off of the rafters of an almost empty church auditorium.
The secret to lasting success is found in the "Heart of The Servant". As a servant, upward will be the naturally rewarded direction for movement, though moving up is not his goal. His movement forward will be purposeful and will continue to be an endeavor of helping and building others. This servant drive will earn him influence and trust. Jesus' words ... "Greatest is the servant" were not just a flippant suggestion, but a royal mandate with growing temporal and eternal reward. Good servants build great trust.
"And in His Name shall the nations trust." Matthew 12:21
O the forward movement of our lives... when fashioned in servanthood: love becomes the ulterior motive, grace is the rule for response, and others are of greater value than our personal achievement. You may say ... "what good did servant-ship do for Jesus, He found Himself crucified on a cruel Roman cross!" BUT my friend, forget not that you are the reason for His sacrifice, AND that after the third day He also found himself outside of an empty tomb...Fully Alive with full power to redeem all who will call upon Him.
Trust the Sacrifice of God's SERVANT ... trust the pattern He left for us ... and live fully engaged in a life spent in service for Christ to others. Hear the voice of the Servant: "Not my will, but Thine be done!"
HLFA,
Jeff
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the LORD, and not unto men; Knowing that of the LORD ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the LORD Christ." Col. 3:23,24
