What is Your Philosophy of Service?

What is Your Philosophy of Service?

 

   Since I am Christ’s disciple I would have to look in the Scriptures for the basis of my philosophy. One must be very careful that the service rendered is not serving an object in place of God, for example when Jesus tells us in Scripture that you cannot serve two masters, God and money (Matt. 6:24). I think the key Scripture references for Jesus’ theology for service would be serving God and God only (Matt. 4:10), however, this also encompasses serving humanity in the name of God. Jesus also states that He came to serve, not to be served and to offer His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:27). His  dying for humanity’s sin is the direct will of the Father (Luke 22:42). Therefore if service is the will of the Father and the lifestyle of Christ, then I, as His disciple, would have the same mandate for my life.

In John 13:3-10, Jesus girded Himself with a towel as a servant and poured water into a basin to wash the disciples’ feet. The disciples must have been shocked because Peter said, “Never shall You wash my feet!” But Jesus told Peter that He must wash his feet or he would not have any part with Him. Accordingly, then Peter wanted his whole body washed. Peter just did not seem to get it yet. After the cleaning of their feet, Jesus explained to them why He did so. The explanation was simple: if the teacher washed their feet then they ought to wash one another’s feet because a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. Jesus goes on to say that, “they who know these things would be blessed if they do them.” Jesus’ example of a servant comes with a promise of a blessed life (John 13:12-17).  

     Paul explains in Romans 12 that our bodies are to be presented to God as a living sacrifice and that we are to renew our minds by living for God and His will and not be conformed to this world. This world wants us to live for self and have selfish ambitions, which contradict the Biblical acts of love, which is a service to your neighbor. Paul goes on to say in Romans 12:7 that service is a spiritual gift. This service is from God and will meet the saints’ needs fully according to 2 Corinthians 9:12. In fact, the spiritual gifts are given for equipping the saints to serve and build up the body of Christ.

Paul also urges slaves to render service to their masters not to please men but to please God. When they serve, they need to serve in the respect that they are serving the Lord Himself and not their masters (Ephesians 6:7, Colossians 3:22). Paul tells the Philippians that he is being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice of serving their faith. His service to them was an offering to God. Timothy served with Paul as a child serving his father (Philippians 2:22), and Ephroditius almost died because of the depth of the service he gave to Paul (2:30).

Paul was thankful for the service that God gave him because he recalled his former days of being a blasphemer (1 Timothy 1:12). He used the analogy of a soldier in active service to the Lord and for Timothy not to entangle himself with the affairs of the world (2 Tim. 2:4). He also called for Timothy to bring his parchments and Mark who was a good service to him, indicating he would like to make a mends with any disputes he might have had with Mark.. To Paul, the very work of God was his service in the spreading of the gospel. There is no better way in Paul’s mind to make amends to the relationship with John Mark, than to give him the compliment that he was of good service to him in his ministry.

     Jesus also knows the deeds of the churches in Revelation 2. He notes to the church in Thyatira that He knows their deeds, love, faith, service, and perseverance (Rev. 2:19) .To Jesus, service is just as important as their faith, love, and perseverance. Jesus came to serve His Father by seeking the lost and providing the way for salvation for all humanity who call on His name for salvation (Romans 10:9-13).

Therefore, my service to God would be living a sacrificial life that brings others to Jesus for salvation resulting in making disciples of them and they in turn would go and make disciples of other people. So with that being said, what is our philosophy of service? Mine is to try to mimic Jesus and Paul. I can’t say I will be perfect at it or always do my best, but I am committing today to at least try my hardest to be an example to others of Jesus and Paul’s testimony of striving for my race to be fought well in the orders given to me by God.

                May you find the way He has called you. I am praying for you for obedience, a clear call, and for endurance to fight the good fight God has given you to fight.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my contemplations.

 

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 With Much Joy,
©Darla J. Smith
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