A Servant?

WED., MAR. 25, 1992, 6:15 AM
FARM, STUDY

The portion of Holy Scripture that you studied and discussed yesterday dealt with Jesus and His disciples and with His strong but varied call for them to see themselves as servants. You are quite aware that this is My constant admonition to you, also. The fullness of the message, of course, is that I am servant to you, and thus you must be a servant to others. Hopefully, the process continues. As you are to others, so they will be to still others.

Your success with this charge is varied. You generally do not take leadership positions, and when you do you carry these out in a reasonably humble way. You could not be a Chairman or a Dean with success in this culture as it is. I urge you to continue to serve in various ways, but always with the attitude of servanthood.

Let Me contrast two of yesterday’s happenings. In relation to your student Pan you were the helpful servant. You devised a way for him to have more success, countering his frustrations at not being capable in the English language. The counter to this was your inability and unwillingness to feel compassion for Evolyn as she talks about her family and her dead husband, Jim. You could not lower yourself, as Lenore is doing, to offer help to one who is unpleasant in her need. The toughest task in being a servant is carrying out this role when the one served is unpleasant and unappreciative. And be aware, importantly, that these negative reactions are yours and are not the only ways you could respond.

Generally this is not hard for you. You do not have strong desires to dominate, and, in general, you are tolerant of weaknesses and imperfections in others. Yet you need to be reminded when you don’t do this as you should… when you are unsuccessful as a servant. In the case with Evolyn you must write a letter, an attempt to help her in this difficult time.

As you read the Scriptural account Peter, My “chief” disciple, was quite variable in his role as servant, even under My direct leadership. But, you see, he expected Me to be more forceful and more directive, not so meek and servantish. He didn’t want Me to wash his feet. Then when I gently said this was necessary he wanted to be bathed all over. He wanted to be treated specially, and I had to tell him No… only the feet, just like the others. Then when he had the chance to admit to being a disciple, with the risk of dying with Me (as he proclaimed that he would) he denied the servant status.

Let this be a positive assurance to you, however. You will often fail in being a true servant, but there is always forgiveness. And let the forgiveness that I bestow freely and lavishly be the impetus for acts of atonement, in the original situation, or in others similar.

The illogical conclusion to this requirement can be stated… in weakness there is strength… the true leader is one who humbly serves… the last shall be first, and the first, last… as you have served others, you have served Me.

You can expect that many in your culture, even Christians, will not truly appreciate you in this servant mode. In some ways it is easy for you, and in some other ways it does not come naturally, and you have to “work at it.” I accept both.