Recognize Your Relationship to God
To develop a servant’s heart, you must begin by being in right alignment with God. Recognizing who you are in relationship to who he is, exposes any pride that you may have, and yet at the same time, the more you recognize who you are in relationship to Him, the more you embrace humility. Embracing humility is a daily practice, not a one time event. By doing so, you’ll keep your heart in alignment with the Holy Spirit.
It is important to note that serving others does not hope for recognition. The Father sees what you are doing, and he takes notice. When you view servanthood as a way of living, an expression of worship to God, you do so willingly with joy because it is a reflection of your relationship with God. When you serve others, recognizing your act of service as an expression of worship, it’s like giving God a hug. [For further reading on this, you may want to read “The Servant”, by James C. Hunter].
The Goal is Not to Serve Into Something Else
If you are serving to serve your way “up the ladder”, you misunderstand the concept of servanthood. The goal of the servant is to serve, . . . and that’s it. One serves as an expression of worship to the Lord. He serves to express the love of God in a practical way, and in so doing, he honors the Lord. Servanthood is other-centered, not self-centered.
The Servant’s Thinking Determines His Behavior
Developing an ‘other-centered mindset’ is key here. The more time you invest in searching for opportunities to serve others, the more natural serving others will become. It will become second nature because your behavior follows your thinking. In as much as this is true of people like Charles Manson, it is equally true of those who serve like Mother Teresa. Both Charles Manson and Mother Teresa carried out what they allowed their mind to ponder, and so it is with you. You become what you think about.
It’s the Little Things that Make a Difference
Serving in small ways can make a difference in someone’s day. Here are a 5 practical examples of how you can serve others throughout your day.
- When you walk into your local convenience store, hold the door for them. Not only will you bring a smile to their face, but they will thank you every time, guaranteed.
- Allow someone to cut in line when you have been waiting . . . forever . . . in traffic.
- While at the store, offer to walk people to their car using your umbrella when it’s raining outside.
- Park further away from the building so that others can park closer.
- Clean up after others, when it’s not your job.
Why would you do these things? For the express purpose of expressing God’s love in a practical way. If they don’t notice, that’s OK. The point is not to serve so they will notice. Remember, you are serving God, and he notices.