Jesus came to serve, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV).

We have been called upon to serve one another—to serve the present age. We often sing together, “Make me a servant, humble and meek.” Sounds simple enough.

But Duane Elmer in his book Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility, suggests that the main thing that hinders our service may be a superior attitude. Elmer writes:

“I am often guilty of a superior attitude. Submerged deep within me, this attitude can be evasive and hard to identity. I quickly rationalize and deny its presence. Usually superiority appears in disguises that pretend to be virtues—virtues such as:

• I need to correct their errors (meaning I have superior knowledge a corner on truth).
• My education has equipped me to know what is best for you (so let me do most of the talking while you do most of the listening and changing).
• I am here to help you (so do as I say).
• I can be your spiritual mentor (so I am your role model).
• Let me disciple you, equip you, train you (often perceived as ‘let me make you into a clone of myself’).”

Elmer concludes:

“These and other so-called virtues corrupt our attempts to serve others.” (p.17)

Upon reading Elmer’s “confessions” I realized (I must confess!) I am guilty of similar attitudes.
Lord, give me a servant’s heart and a servant’s spirit. May my service look more and more like yours—kenosis—emptied of self—as Paul wrote:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5-7 NIV)

This is the work of Christ’s Spirit within us.

By Bud Reedy