Qualties of a Servant

1. They Serve God, Not People. Galatians 1:10 ¹⁰Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.¹ It is not that they do not care about people, but their motivation is primarily to please God. In this they are not looking for the accolades of others but the pleasure of God.

2. Others Orientated. Philippians 2:3-4 ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.² Other-centeredness is trait that few exhibit. Often we are mainly concerned with ourselves, not others. Putting others first is a true characteristic of someone with a servant attitude.

3. Willing To Serve Everyone. Matthew 10:42 ⁴²And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.³ Often we serve to be seen. We desire the attention and gratitude others bestow upon us when they see our sacrificial service. The more important the person the greater the perceived attention. Jesus, on the other hand, came to serve everyone, especially the "least" among us.

4. Serve With An Uncomplaining Spirit. Luke 17:7-10 ⁷Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, "Come along now and sit down to eat?" ⁸Would he not rather say, "Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink?" ⁹Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty."⁴ One way you can tell if you have a true servant's attitude is how you respond when treated like a servant. Are you looking for praise? Or are you content to serve to the glory of God?

5. Hard Working. Colossians 3:22-23 ²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,⁵ Our service needs to be done with whole-heartedness, not reluctantly or halfway.

6. Observant And Alert. Philippians 2:3-4 ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.⁶ We need to pay attention to the needs around us. We often walk right by opportunities for service because we are focused upon our own interests.

7. Faithful. Luke 16:10 ¹⁰Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much.⁷ Service should be done with faithfulness. If we agree to help someone or do something, we need to follow through with it.

¹ Galatians 1:10, NIV.
² Philippians 2:3-4, NIV.
³ Matthew 10:42, NIV.
⁴ Luke 17:7-10, NIV.
⁵ Colossians 3:22-23, NIV.
⁶ Philippians 2:3-4, NIV.
⁷ Luke 16:10, NIV.