Serve One Another

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45 NKJV

“He must be your servant.” People sometimes misuse these words to exercise authority over others: You must serve, you must do what the other says. And when someone is a pastor or leader, this can easily happen—after all, it is “the pastor,” and he must be obeyed. But discernment is more important than manipulation. A servant is someone filled with the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit—not someone who wants to make something of themselves. Here too, discernment is essential. People who are always stepping forward to take on tasks in the congregation, who like to be at the front with their prayers or words to “serve” the church, are not necessarily your servants.

Spirit-filled children of God do not desire to exalt themselves, but Him whom they love—the Son of God. These people do not ask for tasks in order to serve; by the Spirit of God they are appointed to those tasks. Look at Jesus Himself: He, the Son of God, did nothing of His own accord. He did everything the Father told Him to do and to speak. And He did it out of love. That love was so strong that Jesus remained obedient in His struggle and went as the Lamb of God. The blood of Jesus is first and foremost for God. Whoever has the doorpost of their heart sprinkled with the blood of Jesus is not an object of His wrath. Then you meet the requirement God sets—a requirement that only the Son of God could fulfill.

For us personally, it is very important to examine the source from which we act. I myself have desires that I bring before the Lord Jesus, but in all of this it is not my will but His will that shall be done. For when His will is fully given room—when people are filled with the Holy Spirit—then others will see that we have truly loved Him. Then there is space for the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, and people’s hearts will be touched. Peter was a beautiful example of this.

Serving is first and foremost serving the Son of God. And when we lay aside our fleshly desires and the latent strength of the soul, the Spirit of God will become visible. Then we can serve others. And serving may sometimes look very different from what we expect. When you gain spiritual discernment and take a stand against manipulative or intimidating church members, their anger may be directed at you. But you are serving them, because you are bringing into the light what is darkness. Recognizing flattery—or “encouragement” that is not from God—is something the Spirit reveals. Serving does not mean being someone else’s servant in the sense that you always keep silent and let yourself be dominated. For whatever overcomes you, to that you become a slave. And He alone is our Master.

Lay down your life—He gave His life as a ransom for many. The freedom He gives surpasses all understanding. Serve the Son of God. He is worthy; He is worthy of everything. Thank You, Father, for Your Son.