What Does True Servanthood Look Like?

Jesus’s servanthood and obedience is exemplified throughout His ministry here on earth. We may see what it looks like to be obedient, but we have cannot fathom the lengths Jesus’s obedience truly took Him.

I have an expectation of how I want my children to act and respond when I ask them to do a task. As a matter of fact, it’s a pretty high expectation. I remember when they were very young, I would take them with me to a store with my own expectations of how the shopping experience should go. It never seemed to go how I had planned in my mind. The problem was that I was not giving them a clear picture of my expectations. I expected them to go with me into the store and not beg to buy something we did not need, to not fight with each other, to not touch items that did not belong to them, and to be polite to those around them. Instead, we always left the store with one, if not both, throwing a fit because they did not get a toy they desperately wanted or leaving the store because they could not get along long enough for me to complete my list.

One day I read that you should always give your children a clear explanation of your expectations for their behavior. Before we got out of the car, or asked them to complete a task, or before a friend came over to play, I needed to have a discussion of what this event should look like. Not only is that teaching them the proper way to act but it also helps them to feel confident in their actions.

Jesus gives us a clear example of what we are to do as Christians and how we are speak and act. Isaiah 42:1-9 is titled The Servant of the Lord. It is prophecy about who was to come and how He would serve God and accomplish His will. Not only would Jesus accomplish God’s will for Israel, but also for the Gentiles. Verses 6-7 are beautiful words of God explaining not only our role in the New Covenant, but also how He would help us accomplish the task laid out for us. Jesus was sent to earth to be a covenant for the people, a light for the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to free captives from prison, and to release those who sit in darkness. Jesus accomplished all of that flawlessly, without any imperfection, exuberating righteousness. Even though we will not perfectly perform the way Jesus did, we are called to do the same thing Jesus did by spreading Him to those around us. We are called to tell those that do not know Him the Gospel and what Jesus did for them. By doing that, we are turning a light on, opening eyes, and freeing those from their bondage of sin.

We may say to ourselves, but that was Jesus’s job, and it was completed with His death and resurrection. He does not need our help. While this is completely true, Jesus still calls us to be a servant as well. In Acts 26 beginning with verse 17, Paul is giving his defense to King Agrippa for himself and all Jews. He states that the Lord appeared to him and said, I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. God doesn’t need us to accomplish what was already completed, He calls us to come alongside and be a light in the world that outshines all the darkness. This was Paul’s commission for the Lord, and it is ours as well; to be a true servant to God the Father. Paul took his role very seriously as we should as well.

Just as I needed to give a clear explanation to my children as they learned my expectations of them as they were growing into young adults, God gives us a clear explanation of His expectations of us through His Word. His Word is a tool that is freely given to us to use as we contemplate our role in this world. We all have a role to play in the Kingdom of God and these roles are not a huge secret that God enjoys making us search for. Simply begin your role being obedient to Him. Follow where He leads you. Say yes when He calls you to step out of your comfort zone to do His Kingdom work. Love when it is seems like it’s the last thing you want to do. Spend time with Him daily, take time to hear Him speak to you. Become vulnerable as you sit in His presence. As you do these things and draw closer to Him, He will give you a clear explanation as to what He wants you to do. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and will come near to you.” James 4:7-8

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

Digging Deeper:

How are you living your life in obedience to Christ today?

Has God called you to a place of obedience that you are fighting? Why?

How does Jesus’ example of obedience help you in your earthly journey?