SERVANTHOOD
1 Peter 2:16
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
I stood silently on top of a big rock intently watching the woods and listening for any movement in the leaves. After 15 minutes I heard a twig snap and then another, then I heard leaves rustling and caught a flash of movement back in the small evergreens. Moving quickly a doe appeared with another deer chasing her. As they got close I could see that the second deer had antlers and readied myself, while trying my best to stay calm.
November 17th 1977 was a special day for me. I was 15 and it was the day that I took my first buck. A group of 6 would hunt a patch of woods together. Someone had to be in charge and direct the rest to either wait where they’re put (the standers) or quietly walk where they are supposed to (the pushers), hoping to slowly move the deer towards the standers.
At that time my dad was the one that was directing the hunt and the rest of us followed his direction. Each person played their part perfectly that day and not out did I harvest my first buck, a nice 7 point, my dad also harvested a good 8 point buck. It was because everyone served the other that things ended successfully. Without a heart to he a servant to others it is very difficult to be truly successful in most endeavors in life.
A couple of years ago we had a group of youth and leaders that came to serve Linda and I by offering to do some landscaping and carpentry. It was a great experience to watch. It didn’t take long to see who had the servant hearts and who didn’t. Something unexpected happened during the day. We had some guests here and after a rain, when everyone got wet, they went in and made coffee and hot chocolate without being asked…. What a great example of a servant.
The Bible makes it clear that we are called to be servants. What does a servant do? They carry out the will of the master. Like on the deer drive we find success when we’re called to serve the others and follow through.
A servant doesn’t tell the master what to do, no, he does whatever the master requests of him. The servant doesn’t choose when or where to serve, they serve at the pleasure of the master. They don’t set the mind of the master. The servant’s job is to follow the master’s instructions.
We will never be truly fulfilled if we don’t follow the will of the master we serve, our Heavenly Father. When we attempt to live out our own wants without following this master, we fall for a fake fulfillment; power, success and worldly riches. These are short term and leave us empty after a shirt time.
If we doubt this, consider all of the suicides and attempted suicides of people that seem to have it all. They lived out a life of chasing after all the world had to offer, but in the end it was empty. There was no true fulfillment because they were serving self.
We must become servants if we want to experience true fulfillment. We need to become meek (not week) and humble. As God's servants we should have no other agenda, except to do His will. When we become faithful to do His will, then He will fulfill the aspirations He desires for us in our lives… and even those things we desire!
As God's faithful servant we share in His success, we have direct access to His power and wealth and are able to walk in His authority! Let’s get our hearts in servant mode and watch how God brings about all the things we need and want.
Be a servant.
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