The Wisdom in Serving

“For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served by everyone, but to serve everyone, and to give his life as the ransom price in exchange for the salvation of many.” [Mark 10:45 TPT]

Do you notice that the life of Jesus was one lived in total service, born out of the purest Love? His life was completely marked by service, even leading to the ultimate sacrifice. For the three years of Jesus’ ministry, from the age of thirty, He served the people who mistrusted Him, questioned His roots and repaid Him for all the good He did by crucifying Him.

Galatians 5:22–23 presents the fruit of the Holy Spirit as unselfish love towards others, peace, kindness, patience, gentleness and such. If these are the expressions of the same Spirit of wisdom (see James 3:17), then truly, wisdom is expressed in the very attributes which characterise service. That is because all those attributes we see in there will lead the [wo]man who lives by them to serve others.

Contrary to the kind of leadership we see in the world, the leadership of God’s Kingdom (ministry) is one of self-sacrificial service that leads us to discover the heart of Jesus and consequently the Wisdom that defined His ministry. As the singer/songwriter Kofi Nkrumah once put it, “ Leadership (ministry) will expose the true intentions of your heart and challenge them to be transformed in the light of the Holy Spirit. ”

There is no better place that will challenge you to grow and operate in Wisdom than in service to a perfect God and consequently serving imperfect people. Let us determine to live out the days of our lives in unselfish service, even to the point of giving up our lives if it is the Lord’s will. And if that seems ridiculous and foolish in our current world, then rest assured, the wisdom of God has never made any sense to this fallen world (1 Corinthians 1:18).