First must be last

Servants not Served

Sometimes we say things that we regret immediately but, of course, we cannot take the words back. Once spoken they are gone for ever. However, sometimes we say things that immediately ‘impress’ us and we like what we said and feel good about it. We don’t want to take these words back. Rather, we want to repeat them to many people. Such was the case the other day. I was writing a post for my blog and this short sentence came trotting out.

“Always remember that we are servants first and served last.”

Like most of us, I have often heard Jesus words on being servants but it has never really hit home exactly what that means for me – until I wrote that sentence. It was like a sudden burst of sunshine on a wet and miserable morning. A light went on and Holy Spirit said, “Now you understand don’t you.”

We are to be servants. How many Apostles, Bishops, even senior pastors, are true servants to their church? And how many are not only served by their church but expect the same everywhere they go. As servants of Christ, it is our privilege to serve first. It is not ours to be served first and to serve afterwards if at all. I even think we should eschew being served at all in the church and ministry context.

It’s not just leaders and pastors who must be servants but all of the rest of us too. We need to be a serving church. Paul said in Ephesians 3:7 “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.” Mark 9:35 puts it this way “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”