Expanding past self by seeing others in need

King James Version Chapter 12

7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering

Jn 13:1-20 last act of service

culmination, drama, pathos of Jesus final interaction with his most intimate friends

Service a central aspect of logos

Is 42:1-4 core identity as servant of God (quoted in Mt 12:18)

not to be served Mk 10:45

Jn 6:38 function and purpose

Php 2:6-8 Pauls desc of servant christ

Mt 20:25 Jesus exalts service as greatest virtue in KGD

Who are Servers? What makes them tick?

They want to work- DO

They are uber practical-nittty gritty. See exactly what is missing or what needs to be done- set up the chairs, roll up the cords, mow the lawn, etc.

the motivation is to meet practical needs for other people. They see themselves as valuable and necessary for getting things done.

Timothy is the Archtype- “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your state.… But ye know the proof of him, that, as a child serveth a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the gospel. Him therefore I hope to send forthwith.”

Uses and misuses:

Sees and Meets practical needs- usually in the domain of physical rather than spiritual needs- not pastoral in intent. Php 2:20 I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state.

potential to help where unsolicited. creates feeling in server of unappreciated. People don’t see details the way he does so they don’t recognize the importance the server attaches to meeting detailed needs. Can make the server come across as pushy or intrusive. Or alternatively make the server feel unappreciated.

Through acts of service she is bringing peace of mind and rest to the object of the service rendered- Frees up people with other gifts to do what they are good at while the server makes the work possible. Timothy served Paul so that Paul could carry out his ministry. His serving was “as a son with the father” Php 2:22

in order to meet the needs of others, servers can and often do neglect their own personal responsibilities. They will meet others needs but leave those in their care with unmet needs. They can also over emphasize the details and minutia because it is what they focus on .

Serves sacrificially past limitations- Servers are likely to wear themselves out for the purposes of their tasks. They are unlikely to yield to exhaustion and limitations and will expend whatever resources are at their disposal for the sake of the tasks they value, including both time and money. Completion of the task is the most important thing.

working past limits can affect relationships, other responsibilities and health. Servers can appear nervous around tasks especially when they over extend themselves and their resources. In extreme cases this can have negative impact even on a persons health. It is interesting to speculatively note that Paul tells Timothy to take a little wine for his stomachs sake and thine oft infirmities.

Don’t say no.- Servers are so attuned to needs that they are unlikely to refuse help. Servers feel obligated to help and meet needs.

Servers often find themselves in positions of responsibility because they are hard workers. Once in these positions they burn out because they are not delegators they are doers. They will volunteer themselves to do things that others could or should do. This can create failure in the work and tasks that the server should be doing instead of the things he is not delegating.

Attentive to personal details- Servers notice the little things that matter. They will pay attention to birthdays, preferences, and small personal details that other people don’t notice. This is in part because they are other focused and part because they see small details very well.

Servers can feel like others are insensitive or uncaring when they do not have the same intuitive knack for detail. They feel like people close to them must not care for them if they are not observant of the same small details about them. If a server were to mention a personal need and the person did not follow up and respond to that need there is high potential for the server to become resentful.

Seek for approval and appreciation- unlikely to appreciate public praise or attention to their efforts but they need to feel personally appreciated and validated. Appreciation confirms to the server that his work is necessary.

Servers can feel resentment and bitterness when they perceive that there efforts are not appreciated or properly acknowledged. When a server feels under valued or unappreciated he or she can feel used. It is important for servers to keep the Lord at the center of their acts of service.

Can lead to lying for the sake of people pleasing.

Want an appreciate clear and direct instructions - They generally don’t want to fixate or be responsible for the big picture. They want to know what needs done and do it. Paul gives Timothy more praise and precise instructions that he gave any other assistant. 2 Tim 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.- note not “get my stuff”.

The want to work with not for. They see their work of service as a function and part of a whole and want to feel connected to the people that they use their gifts with and for. Sensitive to the notion of being used “just because they are the only one that will do it.”

Like short range projects- Servers like to meet immediate needs and ideally they want to do it themselves and feel the satisfaction of having met a need. Timothy is urged to maintain endurance as a good soldier and to continue in the calling that he was given and reminded to keep up the long range gifts and callings in his life repeatedly.

Servers can become frustrated with long range planning and projects even though repetitive tasks are not usually much of a burden. (setting up for meeting every week) but something that takes a long time to come to completion can wear out the patience of a server.

Above and Beyond- Servers like to add small touches to the work that they do that make their work special or tailored to the person they are serving.

This desire to do that much more than what is expected can cause servers to have problems with deadlines and can make them obsessive about the tiny details of the projects they work on. These small things can become distractions to the main goals. Twice Paul has to remind Timothy “do thy diligence to come shortly unto me… Do thy diligence to come before winter.”

Immediate response to needs- Servers are doers and they impulsively jump into needs that they perceive. Things like planning, proper channels, authority and permission can be skirted in the attempts of the server to get it done.

Hard for servers to recognize that sometimes unmet needs lead people to repentance or reaching out for help through authorities that can influence long term help and healing in peoples lives.

Are you a server?