Jesus said “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. (Mark 12:32)

There is a kind of service that is prevalent in our society that bears no resemblance to the way Jesus served. It is a service devoid of sacrifice; it is a form of service that seeks payback; and it is the kind of service that caters to the “privileged” but shies away from “the least of these”. We see a lot this kind of service in politicians who have redefined the term public servant and made it an oxymoron.  And, we are amazed when we see the opposite of this kind of service in popular figures such as the late Mother Teresa.

Today and tomorrow I want to deal with passages of scripture that clearly spell out the “right” kind of service – a service that is often sacrificial.

First, if we are going to live out the Discipline of Service we have to take very seriously the admonition in Philippians 2:3-8:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!

I pray that the Holy Spirit will make this passage of scripture come alive for you. Read it multiple times if you need to and if you feel led, talk to God and commit to allowing him to develop the mindset of Jesus in you – the mindset of a servant.