The Highest Honor

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Matthew 23:11-12

In a world where title, position, and recognition are clawed after, the role of servant is far from appealing to those without the full revelation of this God-given calling. To be a servant is the highest calling in the Kingdom of God. In fact, it’s the only true calling and the highest honor we could ever receive. This clashes with our modern-day understanding and sometimes causes a struggle within the hearts of God’s people. We’re called, however, to be the opposite of this world; set apart for HIS Glory and not our own (Deuteronomy 14:2).

This is not appealing to our flesh, but humility is what the Lord is attracted to. It’s the heart condition that creates an atmosphere where the only One worthy of honor and glory can be lifted up. The attention was never meant to be on us, except to point others to him. (Matthew 5:16) It takes great humility and dying to self to serve without a pat on the back. It’s the rare person who will rise to the call and lower himself for the Lord. But it’s this person who pleases the heart of God and ultimately, who God will exalt so He can be glorified in a greater way (1 Peter 5:6).

I believe most of us set out to serve God with a pure heart, but the wounds and inner hurts we all deal with, may cause our flesh to crave and seek out something to soothe what ails us. Affirmation and recognition are often the “balm” people believe will make them feel better, but it’s a lie of satan. Only God can bring healing to our hearts and fill that void within us all.

Recently, I saw a person take credit for a project someone else had done. I overheard someone compliment them for a project they had very little to do with, and they took full credit for it without even mentioning the person who actually did it. Little did they know, the person who was responsible for the project was within hearing distance and several people watched to see their reaction. The person just smiled and moved on. Does it seem unfair? Would it cause your hackles to rise if it were you? While it’s not nice for someone to take credit for something they didn’t do, this is a perfect example of the kind of humility God is looking for – someone willing to serve without recognition, so that God could be glorified. Someone who will serve wholeheartedly whether or not a pat on the back is achieved. We often sing a song in church that says “I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody about Somebody….” Believe it or not, we’ve had people come to us and complain about this song because this type of humility cuts across the flesh. Some may confuse likening yourself to nobody with a poor self-image, but the reality is, it takes a very God-confident, spiritually healthy person, to willingly take the role of servant so God can be lifted high.

Where would we all be if a pat on the back was required to save someone from hell? And yet, everything we do in the Kingdom, little or big glorifies God and ultimately leads to others finding salvation through the knowledge of Christ. Together as a body, we make a difference. My husband always says, “There are no big I’s and little You’s in the Kingdom of God. Pride has no place in the servant’s heart and so we must all be on guard.

Here are some signs pride has crept into a servant’s heart:

1. A person will start saying things like, “My area of service….”  “My team…” “My work…” They will elevate their own level of care and concern for people and the work of God while diminishing the care and service of others. They begin to feel “their area of service” deserves more attention, more recognition, more respect … when in reality, God is the only One worthy of MORE. Everything we do is for Him and no one is more important than another.
2. A person will go behind the scenes gossiping to others to manipulate and gain the recognition they crave. They will cause strife and division to rally people to “their side” to ensure they get the attention they desire. There is only one side – God’s – and these unholy alliances won through manipulation only hurt the body of Christ.
3. They will get offended when they don’t get the recognition they crave and demand and threaten to get their way. They may threaten to stop serving in hopes of punishing others. They may threaten (in not so many words) that if their demands aren’t met, they will cause strife with others. These fleshly temper tantrums and the results of them grieve the Holy Spirit and only hurt brothers and sisters in Christ. 
4. A person goes from saying “Use me Lord!” to “I feel used!” A person may volunteer to serve but when they don’t get the recognition they crave they feel disgruntled and complain to others of “feeling used” or unappreciated.
5. A person will go out of the way to make sure everyone knows “THEY” are the one responsible for all the things being accomplished rather than letting God get the Glory. “I did all this work…” “If I didn’t step in and do this it would never have been accomplished…”  This is P…R…I…D…E plain and simple.

As longtime pastors, my husband and I have seen it all. It’s always a challenge to navigate through people’s hurts, helping them to grow and heal, while still maintaining an atmosphere that pleases the Lord. We’re all works in progress… and this takes crucifying that rebellious stubborn child in us all, and actively working this out as teachable children of God. If you saw yourself in any of the above examples, don’t fret – remember we all fall short, and forgiveness is ours from the Lord. Allow the Lord to bring healing and transformation to your life so you can move forward as the servant of God you’re called to be. There is no greater joy than when serving from a heart of humility.

Throughout the Bible, the highest honor given is “servant of God.” The servant of God was one chosen and entrusted by God to do His work and point others to Him. This same honor is ours today. In the Old Testament, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, and King David were just a few who were called “servants” of the Lord. In the New Testament, Paul called himself a “slave of God,” a position of humility He chose for the sake of His Lord and Savior. And then there’s Jesus, the perfect servant and example to us all, role modeling the crucified servant’s life we’re called to live. Jesus was exalted by God the Father because He humbled Himself by becoming a servant and dying for the ungodly. Because of Jesus’ choice to humble himself and be a servant, you and I were saved.

Imagine what God can do through us if we humble ourselves like Jesus? Humility is the only attitude God will use. As we approach the new year, let’s challenge ourselves to search our hearts and root out pride. Let’s commit to drawing even closer to God so He can heal the areas of our hearts that cry out for recognition and strive to meet that need through attention and approval from others rather than Him. There’s much to accomplish before Jesus comes back. Let’s not lose sight of the mission. Souls are hanging in the balance and as servants of God, the highest honor and privilege ever, we can be the vessels used to glorify God and bring others to salvation.