Carolyn Faines

LEAD510
Discussion Forum 5
February 17, 2016
Dr. Dann Austin
Discussion Forum 5
Taking on the role as a servant is difficult and necessary because being a servant requires
getting you and your own motives out of the way and start thinking with the mindset of Christ.
Philippians 2:5-7(KJV) tells us Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. In
being a servant having on the mindset of Christ, is of the uttermost importance, because its the
mindset of Christ that is going to teach you how to properly be a humbled servant. Secular
leaders are not humbled servants because they serve for their own purpose and motives and not
for the purpose of God. A servant is all about being committed to ministry and not self. So if one
is going to be committed to ministry, then his/her mindset has to be shifted in order to take on the
attitude of Christ. With the attitude of Christ, a person knows that servanthood is purposed by
God and that Gods servant consists of imitating the Son of man who came not to be served, but
to serve (Howell, 2003 p. 198).
There are many different feelings that could be discussed in reference to how someone
should feel when it comes to the role of a servant. However, a personal one that speaks volume
to me is that of Albert Schweitzer which says "The only really happy people are those who have
learned how to serve". I believe those words which speaks of a person being happy to serve is
how one should nurture the attitude and lifestyle of placing others above oneself. Another way
to nurture the attitude and lifestyle of serving is to consider the cost that comes with being a God
servant. For it states in Luke 14:27-28 that "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come
after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not
first sit down and calculate or consider the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Being a
servant comes with a considerable cost, where the payment and accolades does not come from
man here on earth but instead from God. So by considering the cost ask yourself, are you able or
are you truly willing to give up your own pleasures and time to put someone elses needs above
yourself. If one finds it hard to answer this question, there needs to be an evaluation completed to
see what your motives are in serving God and leading others to Christ, because in order to be
elevated by God and lead others, one first has to be a servant of others (Howell, 2003 p. 198).
As discussed within the required textbook, one of the most profound examples of serving
from a secure self-image is Jesus washing the feet of his disciples (Howell, p. 201). When you

know who you are in Christ and your role as a servant you are not bothered about being the least
in the eyesight of man because you become greater in the eyesight of God. One of my
experiences in kingdom leadership was that of my husband and I being the Pastors took on the
role of what Jesus did when He washed the disciples feet. It was a New Years Eve service
when the act of servanthood took place. My husband and I washed the feet of every member that
was affiliated with our ministry that night, with the joy of the Lord. It was a life changing
experience for us as well as the members. We wanted to express to the members that even
though we are their overseers, we were there as servants of God to serve them as well as they
serve God and the ministry. We wanted them to know that we were washing away every tired
placed their feet had tread upon and that they will enter the New Year with their feet cleansed
from all the worries of the old things that had happened.

References
Howell, Don N., Jr. Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership. Eugene: Wipf &
Stock Publishers, 2003. ISBN: 9781592444229.