“And He sat down and called the Twelve
[apostles], and He said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he must be last
of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35 Amplified
“[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing
your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants
of God.” 1 Peter 2:16 Amplified
Control; it’s led to countless evils
and oppression, slavery, abuse, corruption. Control is very corruptive. When Jesus came He made it clear that this
was not God’s way; this was not The Kingdom Way. It’s without a doubt the world’s
way and I am never surprised to see it at work in the world. What has surprised
me, alarmed me, saddened and grieved me is how much of it I have seen within
the organized church. My parents were pastors for many years and I saw
the inside of how things operated. I saw
a system largely designed around control.
I’ve seen pastors work to control
their congregations, elders fight to control the pastors, children’s church
leaders, worships leaders and every other person who had the name “leader”
attached to their title fight to keep control; feeling threatened if another
came along with an anointing, calling, or even talent to do what they were
doing, scared that person might threaten their control and then going to great
lengths to drive that person out of their fellowship. Sadly, it happens in
every area. I even see men trying to claim control of women asserting “authority”
using scripture that has a vastly different meaning.
This isn’t meant as a criticism of people
who attend or participate in church services, I have known many wonderful
people who do, it isn’t even meant to expose a system which I see as having a
great power to corrupt good people, but as an example of the dangers we face
when we desire control; a plethora of very deceptive evils that can work in our
hearts just by wanting one wrong thing; control.
Why do people want control? The
answers are varied and only God can show us on an individual
level, but I do know what the cure for control is; a servant’s heart.
The servant’s heart is a beautiful,
sweet thing and it eliminates the power struggle completely. It is the heart
Jesus has:
“Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind
be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who,
although being essentially one with God and in the form of God
[possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think
this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, But
stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the
guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a
human being.” Philippians 2:5-7 (AMP)
He didn’t come to control; He came to serve. Men wanted to make
Him a “leader”, to overthrow the government, to set up an earthly kingdom but
He would have none of it. He showed us another way, a way where “leaders” are
servants, and where love motivates not control.
The servant’s heart is the heart we all
should have. The servant’s heart doesn’t feel threatened when someone else
comes along who can do something better than we can, doesn't fight to protect it's own interest and self, for the servant’s heart
cares about the good of all, about giving, about meeting someone else’s need.
This is my challenge. To develop this
servant’s heart, knowing that I have the mind of Christ and hold the feelings
and purposes of His heart, to keep a prayerful eye to not yield to the desire
to control. And when I feel it rise within me to yield and to "live at all times as a servant of God".
