By: Dr. Mike Jones<\/p>\n
Today, would like to talk about 7 qualities and 6 characteristics that every servant of God should have, based on New Testament Theology. They are good indicators of any Christian\u2019s spiritual health.<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. They Serve God, Not People. (Galatians 1:10)<\/strong> 10<\/sup>Am 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.<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n 2. They Are Other People Orientated. (Philippians 2:3-4)<\/strong> 3<\/sup>Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4<\/sup>Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.<\/em>2<\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n 3. They Are Willing To Serve Everyone. (Matthew 10:42)<\/strong> 42<\/sup>And 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.<\/em>3<\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n 4. They Serve With An Uncomplaining Spirit. (Luke 17:7-10)<\/strong> 7<\/sup>Suppose 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?” 8<\/sup>Would 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?” 9<\/sup>Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10<\/sup>So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”<\/em>4<\/sup> 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?<\/p>\n 5. They Are Hard Working. (Colossians 3:22-23<\/strong>) 22<\/sup>Slaves, 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. 23<\/sup>Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,5<\/sup> Our service needs to be done with whole-heartedness, not reluctantly or halfway.<\/p>\n 6. They Are Observant And Alert.<\/strong> (Philippians 2:3-4)<\/strong> 3<\/sup>Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4<\/sup>Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.<\/em>6<\/sup> 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.<\/p>\n 7. They Are Faithful. (Luke 16:10)<\/strong> 10<\/sup>Whoever 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<\/sup> Service should be done with faithfulness. If we agree to help someone or do something, we need to follow through with it.<\/p>\n CHARACTERISTICS<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. They Love God<\/strong> – The most important characteristic of a servant is that he\/she knows and loves God, and is continually striving to know God better. \u00a0(1A) Not that they have arrived: Philippians 3:1<\/p>\n 2. They Lead with Action and not Words<\/strong> – The servant has to be a role model in that they serve by action and not words. In James 2:17 \u201cThus also faith in itself, if it does not have works, is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. They have Humility<\/strong> – Humility is the foundation of service. \u00a0In John 13:3-5, \u201cJesus, knowing that that Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples\u2019 feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. They are Responsible and Reliable<\/strong> – The servant must be mature, and serious about their service. The \u201cfaithful servant\u201d that Jesus talks about in the Gospels (Luke 12:35-48<\/p>\n 5. They exhibit Obedience<\/strong> – Obedience, like humility, is one of the major keys to God\u2019s heart. 1 Peter 5:5-6, says, \u201cLikewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for \u2018God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.\u2019 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.<\/p>\n 6. They exhibit Sincerity<\/strong> – We will be deprived of spiritual and abundant blessings, if we are not sincere in our service..<\/p>\n We know that every Christian should be a true servant of the Lord; Therefore, let us be faithful to Him for Christian service.<\/span><\/p>\n (Adapted from my Teaching\u00a0Qualities & Characteristics of a Servant of God<\/em><\/span>; all Scripture references are taken from the KJV unless otherwise noted.)<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By: Dr. Mike Jones Today, would like to talk about 7 qualities and 6 characteristics that every servant of God should have, based on New Testament Theology. They are good indicators of any Christian\u2019s spiritual health. 1. They Serve God, Not People. 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