Servitude is Personal Development for Christians
What is the best way for Christians to achieve outstanding personal development?
Whether you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ or not, the answer is servitude. Everyone remembers the old saying “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This saying and all others like it have their origins in the bible. The act of focusing on and being a servant to your fellow man instead of being self-absorbed is the pinnacle of human achievement.
Personal development for those who do not believe in God is usually propagated by those who would have you focus inwardly in order to fix what you perceive to be your various character flaws and shortcomings.
A Christian personal development plan differs in that it requires forgetting ourselves and concentrating on the needs of others instead. History’s greatest example of servitude to mankind was the ministry and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A lack of belief in Jesus as God does not negate the fact that He lived here as one of us for a time and payed the ultimate price by giving up His life for his friends. How do I know that servitude is the most direct pathway to a fulfilling personal development experience?
The Lord gave an example to follow when teaching the apostles:
Mark 10:44-45 – And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
The greatest thing we can do in this life is to learn to use our individual gifts in service to other people. By doing so, we forget about the petty problems in our own lives that most self-help guru types would have you drive yourself crazy trying to change.
If we are constantly concerning ourselves with the welfare of our friends, family and acquaintances, then we have no time left for self-introspection. The less time we have available to sit in contemplation of how we might be better human beings, the more time we have to focus on providing value to others.
In order to most effectively apply the principles of servitude in our lives, it is helpful to know what being a servant feels like. Modern conveniences and the proliferation of new-age self-focused philosophy have created an atmosphere where many cannot identify with how it feels to subjugate themselves to a master.
There are a few activities you can participate in that will help you gain a better understanding of the true servant’s state of mind.
One of the best things a Christian or non-Christian can do to achieve personal development through servitude is to take on what is considered a menial job part time, or actually quit their current job to work in a more demanding, lower-paying position.
Keep in mind that this tactic must be approached with the proper mentality. One cannot pursue this particular endeavour while hanging onto any kind of superiority complex. This method of developing the servant mindset is only effective if we eagerly and modestly devote ourselves to it.
How is this best accomplished? By remembering that you are not defined by the job you do, the clothes you wear, the house you live in or the car you drive. What defines us as human beings is what we do, not what we possess.
The job any person does, regardless of how it is looked upon by society, does not make the labourer of any less stature than the man or woman next to them. You could be scrubbing toilets, cleaning out sewer lines or caring for the incontinent. No matter what the task, it is important to someone who is genuinely grateful for your performance.
Deliberately putting yourself in a position of indentured servitude when you have the choice not to is the embodiment of our greatest potential. Serving others because we not only want to, but need to is endlessly satisfying and makes the petty issues of our lives seem ridiculous. The world would be a much nicer place if every one of us were more concerned for the welfare of others.
My favourite activity for refreshing my memory of the servant’s mindset is one that unfortunately (or fortunately) is exclusive to those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Though my wife and I do not celebrate any of the holidays on the modern calendar (including birthdays) because we know that the origin of every one of them can be traced to ancient pagan idol worship, we do have one holiday celebration each year.
We celebrate what is known in the Christian world as The Lord’s Supper. Christians use a similar ceremony to what the Jewish people use during passover, the details of which are as follows:
- Prior to the event, the home of the host is cleaned thoroughly and all leaven (yeast) is removed from the premises as it symbolizes corruption.
- Early in the evening, participants gather at the home of the host, dressed as they feel comfortable when presenting themselves to the Lord.
- During the event, the mood is kept serious, as the participants are honouring the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice to pay for their sins so that they might have eternal life.
- After each participant knows within themselves that they are holding no grudges against their fellow man, unleavened bread is consumed, representing the body of the Lord which was broken for us.
- After the unleavened bread is eaten, each participant drinks a small glass of wine which represents the blood of the Lord which was shed for the remission of our sins.
- At all times, scriptures are read and thanks is given to God the Father for giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and redeemer.
My favourite part of this event, an often overlooked and omitted detail due to lack of humility and willingness towards servitude on the part of those present is the washing of the feet.
For those who are not familiar with this event and wonder why it is done, I have provided some samples of scripture where this act is mentioned, along with accompanying explanations.
Luke 7:37-38 – And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment. And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Here, showing the true heart of a servant, a woman who learns of Jesus’ whereabouts goes to the house he is staying at. Crying, she lowers herself to the floor, washes His feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. Then she applies an expensive ointment (perfume) to His feet.
Why has the young woman done this? Because she is convicted of her sin in her heart, desires forgiveness and recognizes that Jesus has the power to release her from all her sins. She perfectly fulfills the role of servant to her master out of a genuine desire to serve another.
Do you think Jesus was too proud to act like a servant? He set the ultimate example at the last supper:
John 13:4-5 – He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took up a towel and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.
Here, Jesus performs the same task that was performed for Him by the young woman mentioned previously. There could be no greater example of servitude than that set here by the Lord Himself. Jesus, God in the flesh, purposely and consciously put Himself in a position that most of us would naturally try to avoid.
Clad only in a towel to cover His nakedness, which would make most of us blush with embarrassment, He put Himself at the feet of His own servants, becoming servant to them. In doing this, He set an example of the mindset that every Christian and non-believer on the planet should hope to emulate one day. When He had finished washing their feet, the Lord said:
John 13:12-15 – Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye ought also to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Owing our very lives to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are compelled as Christians to imitate the actions of our Lord and Master. The special significance that Jesus placed on this particular event is what makes me so glad to participate in it during the Lord’s supper.
Are you a non-believer? You can still experience the feeling a Christian gets from this simple act of kindness. In the time of Jesus, it was considered hospitable for a host to give their guests clean water in which to wash their feet. You have an opportunity to astound the next guests to grace your home with their presence by offering this simple courtesy.
If you are uncomfortable performing this task for someone you are unfamiliar with, begin with a family member, or your spouse. There is no way you can internalize the feeling of humility that is derived from this activity without becoming a willing, active participant.
If you are a Christian seeking greater personal development, or a non-believer investigating ways to augment your own personal development plan, I recommend that you strive to develop a positive attitude toward being a servant.
It is through this practice, applied daily and believed in completely that the greatest examples of personal development happen. Focus not on what you can do to improve yourself, but on what you can do to improve and enrich the lives of others. You’ll become a better person without even realizing it.
Are there other important qualities to develop when seeking personal development? Leave a comment and share your thoughts! 
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