Called to serve

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“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Servant leadership simply put — is a person “called to serve.”

It’s someone who desires to give their time to a church, the community, and beyond. This type of leader empowers other people to perform at their best. One doesn’t have to look very far to find an example of great servant leaders, many have been called: Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Personally, I was inspired at an early age by King. He embodied the ideals of a servant leader. He never asked others to do — what he was unwilling to do. I recall whenever there was a march, he led from the front of the line. And when there was a boycott, he was the first to be arrested; more than 20 times during his ministry.

King was a faithful servant of God. He was always doing something for others. He was a firm believer that “whatever affects one directly — affects all indirectly.” He knew in his heart that: every life matter to God; every life has value; and every life is worth fighting for. We have all been taught this by the ultimate example of a servant leader, Jesus Christ.

And when we put the needs of others before our own, we are reflecting Christ’s example of selfless service. We are to use our gifts and abilities to make a positive impact on the world. This type of service is not optional, but an integral part of our faith journey. And serving others requires humility; that is putting aside our pride and ego, to prioritize the needs of others.

This type of service can take on many forms, including volunteering, the acts of kindness, the sharing of the Gospel, supporting the marginalized, and simply being present for those in need. Everyone has unique gifts and abilities given by God — to be used for serving others.

And the Gospel of Mark teaches us that good people do for themselves, but great people do for others. In other words, great people put others first. We are all called to serve. Unlike King, Jesus never went to college, He never held an office, He never went more than 200 miles from His birthplace. Yet, Jesus stands as the most influential human being of all times!

I don’t know what the future holds, but one thing I do know — who holds the future. And just like Jesus and King, we have been called by God to serve others. Out of all the people who are on the face of this earth today — WE all have been called to serve.

Rev. Marion J. Miller is the Senior Pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, 1201 Thomas V. Bryant Drive, Jeffersonville, Indiana. She may also be contacted at 812-283-3747 or via email at wesley1201@sbcglobal.net.