You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. . . He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. Philippians 2:5, 7, NLT As a young girl, my father taught me a little dialogue. He would say, A wise woman . . . and I would faithfully reply, has a servants heart! I valued this training, especially since in my college years, I was taught the opposite. I was told that modern women were not servants. And we certainly did not serve men. Wow, what conflicting messages we can receive throughout our lives! As our social rights as women have increased over the decades, it seems that our anxieties as Christian women have increased as well. We want to serve but not be stepped on. We want to show humility but also be appreciated for our service. So how do we maneuver through these confusing messages? Overall, the topics of servanthood and humility are not popular among men or women. As students, we never are asked to job shadow servants. In our careers, our promotions dont place us in lower positions of service. After all, there is nothing dignified about being a servant, right? Jesus had a lot to say about servanthood. Following his example means that many of us will have to adjust our attitudes. And attitude is more important than we may realize. The letter to the Philippians begins with Jesus attitude when it discusses his sacrifice. Paul mentions Jesus humility before talking about his death. The message is clear--our attitude is at the heart of service. The way we think about being a servant is as important as serving. Our attitudes when we volunteer for a job are most likely different than if we are forced to do the same work. Yet Jesus willingly gave up his power. He chose to come to earth to die. And were told to have the same attitude! When we discuss exercising our rights in our roles as women, we need to always remember that if we are striving toward greater positions, Jesus will always guide us to his position as a servant to all. If we want to be leaders over others, we must start by washing peoples feet with our love. Amen !
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:52:30 +0000
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