HOW DOES A SERVANT THINK?

WE KNOW WE ARE TO HAVE THE HEART OF A SERVANT.

WE KNOW THAT BEING A SERVANT REQUIRES A MENTAL SHIFT, A CHANGE IN OUR ATTITUDES.

BUT HOW ARE TO DO IT?

FIVE MENTAL ATTITUDES OF A SERVANT

1) SERVANTS THINK MORE ABOUT OTHERS THAN ABOUT THEMSELVES.

SERVANTS FOCUS ON OTHERS, NOT THEMSELVES.

HOW CAN WE THINK OF OTHERS MORE? BY THINKING OF OURSELVES LESS.

WHEN WE STOP FOCUSING ON OUR NEEDS, WE HAVE TIME TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.

IN ORDER TO FULFILL HIS ROLE ON EARTH, JESUS HAD TO "EMPTY HIMSELF" AND BECOME "NOTHING."

WE MAY NOT NEED TO BECOME "NOTHING" BUT WE MAY VERY WELL NEED TO BE A LITTLE LESS FULL OF OURSELVES.

MUCH OF OUR SERVICE IS SELF-SERVICE.

WHAT WE ARE DOING WE ARE REALLY DOING FOR OURSELVES, TO FULFILL OUR PURPOSES AND OUR AGENDAS.

WE ARE NOT SERVING GOD.

WE ARE REALLY SERVING OURSELVES.

THINKING LIKE A SERVANT IS DIFFICULT FOR US BECAUSE IT CHALLENGES OUR SELF-CENTEREDNESS.

WE ARE SELFISH CREATURES. SELF-DENIAL IS THE CORE OF SERVANT-HOOD.

2) SERVANTS THINK LIKE STEWARDS, NOT OWNERS

GOD OWNS IT ALL.

WHATEVER WE HAVE, WHATEVER WE ENJOY, WHATEVER ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE ATTAIN, GOD IS THE SOURCE AND OWNER OF THEM ALL.

WITHOUT GOD WE WOULD HAVE NOTHING.

ONE OF OUR GREATEST PROBLEMS IS MONEY.

MONEY HAS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL TO REPLACE GOD IN YOUR LIFE.

WE GET SIDETRACKED BY MATERIALISM.

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MONEY SO LONG AS IT IS KEPT IN PERSPECTIVE AND USED THE WAY GOD WANTS IT TO BE USED.

WEALTH IS NOT A SIN BUT FAILING TO USE IT FOR GOD’S GLORY IS.

WEALTH IS A GOOD TARGET BECAUSE NOT MANY OF US ARE WEALTHY.

REMEMBER THAT THIS PROBLEM GOES FAR BEYOND JUST WEALTH.

IT IS ANYTHING WE HAVE THAT WE TAKE FULL CREDIT FOR AND THEN COMPOUND THE PROBLEM BY NOT USING WHATEVER IT IS FOR GOD.

DO YOU LIKE TO COMPARE, CRITICIZE AND COMPETE?

YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR FOCUS.

WE ARE NOT HERE TO COMPETE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM. THIS IS TRUE FOR MEMBERS OF A CHURCH AND IT IS TRUE FOR CHURCHES (I REALLY HATE TO ADMIT THIS).

WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO BE JEALOUS AND WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR BEING CRITICAL.

WE NEED TO SPEND OUR TIME DOING THINGS THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE.

WE NEED TO TRUST GOD AND KEEP ON SERVING.

BY THE WAY, REMEMBER THAT IF YOU SERVE YOU WILL BE CRITICIZED. JESUS WAS CRITICIZED. HIS FOLLOWERS WERE CRITICIZED. YOU WILL BE CRITICIZED TOO. DON’T GET MAD AND QUIT. JUST KEEP ON SERVING. IF YOU ARE WHERE GOD WANTS YOU TO BE AND DOING WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO, FOCUS ON YOUR SERVICE AND FORGET WHAT OTHERS SAY.

WE DO NOT HAVE TO PROVE OUR WORTH. JESUS PROVED THAT WHEN HE DIED FOR US. WE CAN BE SECURE IN OUR IDENTITY AS HIS FOLLOWERS.

ONLY SECURE PEOPLE CAN SERVE. INSECURE PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT HOW THEY APPEAR AND WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE THINKING. BASE YOUR WORTH AND IDENTITY ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. WHEN WE DO THIS, WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK. (THEY’RE NOT THINKING ABOUT YOU ANYWAY. THEY’RE PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT THEMSELVES.)

SECURE PEOPLE DO NOT NEED REWARDS, RECOGNITION, OR ACCLAIM. DOING THE JOB AND GETTING IT DONE IS REWARD ENOUGH.

SERVANTS KNOW THAT SERVING IS THE HIGHEST USE OF LIFE. THEY ARE HAPPY TO SERVE AND TAKE JOY IN DOING SO.

IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF JUST 10 PERCENT OF ALL CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD GOT SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR ROLE AS REAL SERVANTS. IMAGINE ALL THE GOOD THAT COULD BE DONE. ARE YOU WILLING TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE?

"THE ONLY REALLY HAPPY PEOPLE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SERVE." ALBERT SCHWEITZER