Philippians 2:5-7

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Before we come to the end of our 30 days of serving we need to look to Jesus because there is no greater model of service, He is the ultimate example of servant hood. Jesus came to serve us by saving us so that we could follow Him.  But it’s not just about following Jesus it’s about becoming like Him taking on His:

1. Attitude

Servant hood starts in our thinking and is a reflected in our attitude and actions. Recently Felix Baumgartner stepped off the edge of a helium balloon on the edge of earth’s atmosphere, 24 miles up and plummeted at a top speed of 833.9 miles per hour. After just over nine minutes he landed in the New Mexico desert, his achievement was becoming the first man to break the speed of sound in a free-fall. Why did he do it? To break a record, to do something no one had ever done before. Jesus also stepped off the edge, and like Baumgartner his destination was earth, but it was not a drop of a mere 24 miles, no, Jesus stepped out of heaven. Why, what compelled Him to take that step? It wasn’t to break a record but to break the power of sin. It was His attitude to serve in which He took that very first step and every step after all the way to the cross.  Attitude always effects action, and Jesus possessed an amazing attitude, one that reached out to people even when they would not listen and would not believe. Jesus shared His attitude with the disciples even when they were absorbed with their own selfish agenda. Jesus believed in people when they did not believe in themselves, He saw Peter as the rock when he wasn’t even a pebble. Jesus saw potential in Matthew when he was a hated tax collector; He reached out to a legalistic like Niccodaemus and a social outcast like Zaccheaus. Jesus saw potential in the people around Him even when no one else did and even when they didn’t seem to change. The key to His servant attitude was that Jesus did not come for Himself but instead He came for us. His goal was not to set up an earthly kingdom but save a dying world. What attitude do you have, who are you serving and what kingdom am you focused on?

2. Humility

When Jesus stepped out of heaven He submitted His life to every facet of humility, the King became the commoner, the Savior became the servant, the creator became the criminal, the prince became the pauper. He humbled Himself to lift us up, Jesus became like us so we could become like Him. Jesus allowed Himself to endure hardship, frustrations and pain, so we could have healing, freedom and peace. Jesus came to give us something we could not gain on our own. He stepped into our world so we could step into His, so the finite could become infinite and the temporary eternal. Humility asks the question, how low can you go? Jesus answered that question in every possible way; physically, emotionally, spiritually, materially. He went from heaven to earth, from peace to pierced, from relationship to rejection, from power to poverty. Jesus came down to our level so we could see Him and experience the depth of God’s love and grace. Humility often looks weak but the power of humility was displayed in the power of redemption, what was cast low was lifted high. Pride is always the enemy of humility, because pride longs to promote self not servanthood. How low are we willing to go to serve? What high ledge does servanthood beckon you from, is it the ledge of position, power, pride or pettiness? Jesus came down to become part of the world He created and if we are to follow in His footsteps we to must step down in order to serve. Like Baumgartner’s jump to earth, serving can be scary and can feel like a turbulent, spinning out of control, downward decent. We may never break any records that will be recorded in history but through serving we can break through into other people’s lives as we step up by stepping down.  Are you ready to step off?

Ephesians 4:29

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Have you ever thought about how your words impact the lives of others? Before you read on I want you to take 10 minutes and reflect on words that have been pivotal in your life, good or bad.

What if these things had never been said to you? Our words have a tremendous ability to heal and bring peace Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” or to hurt and destroy others Proverbs 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. This verse is talking about more than just gossip, lying, foul language, and slander; it’s about serving others through your words. At the heart of this verse is the question, “Are you serving or slaying others with your words?”

James says that although the tongue is small it packs a huge punch! Helpful speech has several qualities:

• Gentle

As a culture our words have taken on a distinctive edge, it seems like the pressures of this life grind away at us until the words coming out of us become sharp and dangerous. Yet gentleness in our voice is like a soothing ointment to the cuts of this life, it not only helps us control our outburst, it helps when others blow up at us. Proverbs 15:1 says that a gentle answer turns away wrath. Are my words gentle or harsh?

• Instructive

Words have the ability to instruct and to guide and we need to ask ourselves, “Are my words destructive or instructive?” Somewhere along the way we have come to believe in a God who only says no, yet as you read through His word He not only gives instruction as to why He says no but He also instructs us in what He wants us to be doing. Our God is not a God of NO’s. Many of us shy away from instruction for fear of criticism but helpful speech goes beyond criticizing us and offers a helping hand. Speech can be both constructive and instructive and the bible is not a book of don’t but rather of do. Do you see God’s word as instructive? How about your words are they destructive or instructive?

• Edifying

To edify means to build up and we need to ask ourselves “Is my speech building up or tearing down?” Think back to those times in your life when someone spoke and it was like a breath of fresh air that filled your sails or a firm foundation that braced you up. Our words can be girders that build a bridge to span the impassible rivers of life, or they can be the fire that burns those bridges down. Who are you building up today?

• Other Focused

So many times our speech is delivered to build up but it is not so much other focused but self-focused, and the goal becomes nothing more than a pat on our own back. So the question becomes, “Who am I trying to build up?” Speech is an incredible gift given to us by a loving Father for the purpose of relationships. Have you ever thought of your words as gifts, gifts are meant to be given to others with their needs in mind, how often do we give our words like that? We have to be other focused if we are ever going to know other’s needs, and it’s not just about knowing but about meeting those needs. The question is not are others listening but “Is what I am saying benefitting?” So who are you benefiting by what you are saying?

Who do you need to serve today through your words?