Quotes About Servanthood

The Son of God, prompted by the same infinite love, laid aside his divine glory and mode of existence, emptied himself exchanged the form of God for the form of a servant, humbled himself and became obedient, even unto the death of the cross.

I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.

Luther said, `All Christians are priests and all priests are Christians. Anathema to him who distinguishes the priest from the simple Christian.i4' Luther argued that the simple milkmaid or the tailor with the word of God in his or her hands was able to please God and minister the things of God as effectively as the priest, the prelate and the pope himself. `Ordination does not make a priest, but a servant of priests ... a servant and an officer of the common priesthood.i41

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks.

The attitude of John reflects that of all of Christ's followers. As you minister to others, investing yourself in their lives, your objective remains the same: "He must increase and I must decrease." To the degree that you call attention to yourself, you draw attention away from Jesus. As you minister to others let this be your job description, the gauge of your success: You and your opinions become less and less important while Jesus becomes more and more important.

There are no servants in God's family, only sons and daughters, fully adopted through God's gift of grace. Redemption is through faith alone, never by works.

However, the truth is that to foster the next generation, we must become selfless leaders who are not out to make a name or position for ourselves but rather willing to pass on our knowledge and understanding for the kingdom's sake. Like David, we must be ready to deny ourselves in order to protect those God has entrusted to us.

Tertullian recounts the narrative of Jesus, whose labors (unlike Hercules's) did not include killing, capturing, and stealing43 but who instead kept a low profile, who bore reproaches, who would not hear of forcing people, who ate at anyone's table, who declined to call for massive angelic intervention, who rejected the avenging sword, who healed the servant of his enemy, and thereby "cursed for all time the works of the sword.

No man is safe above but he that will gladly be beneath.

The greatest of men must turn beggars when they have to do with Christ.

He who is humble easily obeys everyone, fears to offend anyone, is at peace with everyone, is kind with all.

Water and grace flow to persons and places that are lower.

God does not call men to make Jesus Lord (as though they had such power), but to live in absolute submission to the Lord He has made.

Though nameless, trampled, and forgot, His servant's humble ashes lie, Yet God has marked and sealed the spot, To call its inmate to the sky.

Christ counts it his honour, that he is a king of a willing people, and not of slaves. He comes to make you free, not to bring you into bondage, to make you kings, not vassals. None

We should always look upon ourselves as God's servants, placed in God's world, to do his work and accordingly labour faithfully for him not with a design to grow rich and great, but to glorify God, and do all the good we possibly can.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

God is looking for nobodies who will become somebodies in his hands.

What man, if he were God, would humble himself to lie in the feedbox of a donkey or to hang upon a cross?

Humility is the ultimate standard of greatness in the Kingdom of God.

I want to be aware of how I treat others, not thinking too highly of myself to be a servant in a culture which tries to place me on a throne that only God should sit.

Greatness in the kingdom of God is measured in terms of obedience.

This is God's way, the way of humility. It is the way of Jesus; there is no other. And there can be no humility without humiliation.

God told me once, 'I want you to come up to the lowest place.'