Command 34 : Be a Servant | Day 232

Achieve Greatness by Serving!

The heart of every individual possesses a desire to do something significant. God created this basic human need within each of us because He made us in His image, and He is a great God Who does great deeds. When the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus responded to their desire for greatness by giving this command:

Command Thirty-Four: “... Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26-27).

In this passage, the Greek word for minister is diakonos, which refers to one who executes the commands of another or one who waits on another for orders. A minister is one who quickly carries out menial tasks. Jesus described His mission on earth with this same word: “... The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

The word used for servant is the Greek word doulos, which means "slave." A slave is in a perpetual relationship of servitude to another. Paul referred to himself as a bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Paul, a servant [doulos] of Jesus Christ ...” (Romans 1:1).

The journey of Joseph from being a slave to being chief in Potiphar's house and from being a prisoner to being the second-highest ruler in Egypt shows a pattern of how this command works. Joseph had a servant's heart. As a slave, he did not do just what he was told to do, but he saw that God's purpose for him was to do all that he could to make Potiphar successful. God will always bless a servant spirit, because it reflects the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, God blessed everything Joseph put his hand to. Potiphar saw God's blessing on Joseph and appointed Joseph as overseer of his house. Later Pharaoh, seeing that God was with Joseph, set him over all the land of Egypt. (See Genesis 39-43.)

The greatest test of whether or not one is a true servant is how he responds when he is treated like one.

A 20-year-old man in Oklahoma was sent to work as the assistant manager of a retail store. The manager took one look at him and reacted with the thought, "Why would they send a young kid like this out here?" Trying to break him, the manager sent him down to the storage room, which was in utter chaos. Undaunted, the young man organized the fixtures and supplies in bins. Within a couple of weeks the storage room was transformed. Instead of giving any recognition or approval, the manager's only response was, "Ya know, we're not slave drivers around here. It's okay for you to take a break."

This young man's servant heart and diligent work paved the way for his present work as the founder and CEO of one of the nation's largest privately owned retail chains. David Green's story is an amazing account of God's blessing on a spirit of serving.

Let's realize that this command is not just a suggestion to serve, but a powerful directive to accomplish the success that God wants to give each one of us.