4 Powerful Ways a Servant is Defined by Humility
Humility and servanthood go against our culture of pride and arrogance, without it there is no servant. If you would like to be more like Jesus, this is for you!
I don’t know of another character trait that is lacking in Christian women more than humility.
Instead, we are filled with pride that is so great that we are totally blinded by its existence in our hearts and lives.
We can be clothed in a false humility that deceives us and those in our church. We can wear just the right clothes, serve in just the right way at church, and say all the right things that show how ‘humble’ we are.
The only true way we can walk in humility is to be transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was the only person who ever walked this earth who was truly humble. He was so humble that he was accused of blasphemous arrogance.
If you walk as the humblest servant of Jesus who shares the gospel, you will also be accused of arrogance just like Jesus.
Do you really want to be a servant defined by humility as you follow Jesus?
5 Powerful Ways a Servant is Defined by Humility
We are journaling through the book of Philippians and calling it Finding Joy in Jesus through Philippians.
You will find posts shared about Philippians once each week and daily on Facebook in our Jesus Journaling group. In fact, many of the ladies are sharing devotionals with their artwork as we draw closer to Jesus as a community.
As I began reading Philippians, I was struck by the word ‘servants’ and started looking up its meaning and thinking deeply about what it takes to be a servant.
Not just any servant.
You could work as a servant by being a servant and cleaning houses or by being a server in a restaurant.
In Philippians 1:1, Paul and Timothy took on the ultimate servanthood and became servants of Christ Jesus.
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:1
This is intentionally taking servanthood to a higher level.
If this is the kind of servant you want to be, stick with me and keep reading.
1. Humility is Defined by Giving God the Credit
Have you ever been complimented for doing a good job at something?
Seriously, I find myself at a loss for the appropriate words to say.
I should say ‘thank you’ but invariably I make excuses and am embarrassed.
If I say, thank you, it might sound prideful.
If I deny the compliment and say, no it’s not that well done, it sounds ungrateful.
Whether your response to a similar scenario is that you really feel it wasn’t that good or that you say ‘thank you’ and become proud of your work, both these motivations are wrong.
We are to boast in the Lord and not ourselves.
Giving God the credit takes all boasting away! (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
2. Humility is Defined by Recognizing God’s Gift to You
Every single thing about you from your beauty (and you ARE beautiful) to your talents and abilities are from God.
I know this in my head but today it really struck me and I am trying to wrap my head around this in a deep-rooted way.
Just the fact that we think we have these abilities is pride. I think of myself as not being that proud but you know what?
I am because even when I talk ‘down’ at myself and say in my head that I can’t do that, that is the thinking of doing things in my strength instead of Gods!
Try to really think about this for a minute. All these talents are given to us from God:
- Intelligence or Not!
- Skillfulness!
- Giftings!
- Beauty or Not so Much!
- Our Stuff!
- Humor!
- Our Influence!
You and I need to stop naming off the things we lack in (like beauty or smarts) and start seeing that these things are a gift from God even if we are not as smart or beautiful as someone else!
Having a grateful heart to God for all that He has given us would stop ingratitude right in its tracks. It is all rooted in pride.
3. Humility Believes in God’s Sovereignty
Our fears might be based on subconsciously thinking that we are in control of the situation. (James 4:13-17)
Let me explain.
After I was in a minor accident twelve years ago, I can become quite fearful when riding in a car. Not when I am driving because I have the wheel!
Deep down I know that God is in control and is sovereign yet there is a level where I lack trust.
When we are humble, our heart trusts God for our safe arrival at every destination. If we got to that destination, God got us there. If not, He willed that we didn’t get there.
I can see that I need to work on trusting God’s sovereignty in my heart and not just my head.
4. Humility is a Servant to Others
This is the one that is central to humility. It is the hardest one because it is natural to put ourselves first. (Philippians 2:3-8)
Humility serves and doesn’t seek to be served.
As women, we tend to have the servant roll in our homes nurturing our children and at church in many ways.
But oh . . . how I can grind over the need to serve in my home. Right in the middle of making supper for my family I can secretly (or not so secretly) have a terrible attitude.
We want to be first. To be noticed.
But that isn’t the way humility plays out.
Humility gets down low and helps the helpless and lifts others up.
Humility looks to the needs of others and helps those in need.
Jesus is the best example of humility because He took the form of a servant and humbled Himself even to the point of death. (Mark 10:45)
He demonstrated how we should live.
I have so far to go in learning to humble myself as Jesus did. I need to take a good long look at myself and ask God to reveal and remove the pride in my heart. This is something that I can’t do in my own strength but in God’s.
How about you?
Philippians 1:6 & 11
