Spirit Empowered Servant

“At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished. It's about what you've done with those accomplishments. Its about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It’s about what you've given back" – Denzel Washington

The true measure of greatness is not position, power, or prestige, it’s service!

Jesus teaches us that in God’s kingdom we don’t work hard and get to the top so we can have authority and rule over others. Rather in His kingdom we work hard so we can give our lives serving and helping others.

Matthew 20:25–28 AMP

And Jesus called them to Him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men hold them in subjection [tyrannizing over them]. Not so shall it be among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, And whoever desires to be first among you must be your slave— Just as the Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [the price paid to set them free].

Jesus is the perfect example of a servant.

He didn’t have to be, He had position, He had power, and He had authority. Yet, with all that He still served and became a ransom for many! A ransom is the price paid for a slave or a hostage. He gave His life in the place of ours.

Mark 10:45 AMP

For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for (instead of) many.

The first commandment is a summary of the first four of the Ten Commandments and the second is a summary of five through ten , which relate to the treatment of other people.

Mark 12:30–31 AMP

And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Our love for each other is birthed out of our love for God.

God’s heart is unselfish and loves unconditionally. It’s His heart to provide for every need and we should remember that we are to be His hands and feet meeting those needs.

Matthew 25:34–40 AMP

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.

We will be repaid for all that we do for those in need!

Proverbs 19:17 AMP

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.

Everything you do is to do it for the Lord.

So who are they? The widows, the homeless, the sick, the addict, the single moms that don’t know how its going to workout. I’m sure that we could just keep adding to this list, but the point is that there is a work that we should be doing. We can’t afford to spike the ball and celebrate all of the good works. In many cases the work is really only beginning for the church.

Matthew 25:40–46 AMP

And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me. Then He will say to those at His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care. Then they also [in their turn] will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? And He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least [in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me. Then they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal life.

The price is very high for those who look away from those in need and do nothing!

Proverbs 14:31 AMP

He who oppresses the poor reproaches, mocks, and insults his Maker, but he who is kind and merciful to the needy honors Him.

Proverbs 17:5 AMP

Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker, and he who is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent or go unpunished.

If we’re going to be like our Jesus, then we’ll choose service over titles, prestige, authority, and power. Our prayer should be that we see what He sees, hear what He hears, and feel what He feels. We should pray that we are the hands and feet of Jesus to all who are hurting around us.