Utumishi Blog

Where does servant leadership come from? By looking at the example of the Servant King. But we need more than just an example to copy…

“…we need even more than Jesus’ personal example of humble service. What we need is His death… [Humble service] is not even possible for us apart from the Saviour’s unique sacrifice… Consider your own life for just a moment. Where would you be today if He hadn’t ransomed you? I’ll tell you where. You would be self-sufficient, seeking to cultivate self-confidence for the purpose of self-glorification. But what has happened to you? If you’ve been genuinely converted, you’ve been forgiven and transformed… because He laid down His life for us. What a powerful death! The cross ransoms, the cross liberates, the cross transforms!” (C.J. Mahaney, Humility, p.47-58)

We saw this at the induction workshop recently as we went through Titus 3:

• Be servants (v1-2): “…be submissive… obedient… ready for every good work…” – i.e. be humble, be a servant, don’t wait to be asked, don’t expect to be thanked.  It’s about attitude and character and ‘being’. But where does this humility come from?
• Because we were helpless sinners (v3): All of us (‘good boys’ and ‘bad boys’) were enslaved in mind (foolish, deceived), enslaved in will (disobedient), enslaved in heart (passions and pleasures). We had no brain to figure out the truth, no will to obey, no desire for Christ. We were stupid, evil, helpless rebels.
• When HE SAVED US (v4-7): That’s the gospel in three words isn’t it? “He saved us…”  It’s not at all about what I have accomplished (v5). “Getting saved” is not about ‘me responding to an altar call’ or ‘committing my life to Christ’ – it’s completely, 100% the work of God. The whole Trinity is involved – the Father loves, the Spirit gives us new birth, the Son swaps our sin for his righteousness. What have we done in all that? Nothing. It’s all grace. The focus of the Christian life shifts from us to God and the Cross. “He saved us.”
• So stress these things (v8): What things? The truths that you are a great sinner and God is a great Saviour. That Christ has justified you. That the Trinity has saved you.  All by grace. And that truth will lead to service: “that those who have believed in God (the true Saviour God) may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable…”

…excellent and profitable for forming leaders who are not madly running around trying to prove themselves but humbled, joyful servants of the Saviour God.

James Imbo (iServe Africa alumnus and a pastor at Praise Chapel Church Mombasa) posted this brilliant reflection recently:

“I have come to realize that “Servant Leadership” is more about BEING than doing. It is a lot more about the work done for/in the servant than by/with the servant. We need more servant leaders whose character is formed by the work done by the Lord Jesus!!

Servant leadership slows the servant down and the focus is not on what I have accomplished but how much has been developed in me. This brings the servant to the level of humility… where he recognizes that all He can accomplish is through Christ… who is working in him and through him.

The focus shifts from the servant to Jesus and the great work of the Cross.”