Daily Reading for Friday, Feb. 8: Serving

“And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” Luke 22:24-26 NAS

What is a servant? Webster’s Unabridged 1913 Dictionary defines a servant as : 1) one who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his command; a person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employer;

Clearly, being a servant is not the most exalted position to be in. When you are in a servile position, you have little control over your actions. Your passions and desires must submit to the master, and your will cannot be done, only the master’s. Sound familiar? Remember what Jesus taught us to pray? “Thy will be done.” When we enter into the kingdom of God, we become the children of God. But then, we willingly take on the mantle of servanthood. In following Christ, we lay aside our privileges, our perks, and our trappings of royalty in order to serve a lost and dying world. The Bible says that Jesus emptied himself when he left heaven. What did he empty himself of? He willingly set aside the divine adornments in order to walk among us. And He did so with only one purpose: to reconcile a broken world to the Father through his ultimate act of servanthood—the cross. We, too, are servants of Christ. And like Jesus, we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, not to only be filled, but to boldly proclaim the mystery of God in Jesus. How glorious it is to be a servant of the Most High! To be used in such a manner! And so, we press in, daring to serve, desiring to serve, desperate to serve. We serve one another, we serve those who are perishing, and most of all, we serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!