Pattern of Servanthood:
shared by Brod Jun Mayol

Most of us know the story of Joseph. We recall with wonder how God was with him even though his brothers sold him as a slave into Egyptian bondage. God knew that Joseph was aware of His favor over his life. (Genesis 39:2)

    We easily remember how Joseph served Potiphar and was betrayed and falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife. The result of her accusation ended with Joseph being confined to a sunless prison cell. When we take an in-depth look at Joseph’s life, we quickly discover that from a human perspective, the negatives outweighed the positives.

    He was misused, misunderstood, and forsaken. His brothers were jealous and their envy led to a desire to kill him. Joseph barely escaped their grasp before ending up in an Egyptian dungeon. Quite often, when we think it could not get any worse, it does, and Joseph’s faithfulness to his master and to God reaped him another term in solitary confinement.

    Despite his discouraging circumstances, Joseph remained focused on God. "So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined . . . But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer" (Genesis 39:20-21).

    There are many ways to address Joseph’s life. He was faithful and did not allow severe discouragement to sway his devotion to God. He was committed to God’s will. Once he realized that God’s favor was branded on his life, he acted accordingly. In other words, he would not do anything to discredit or disgrace the Lord.

    When Potiphar’s wife enticed him to commit adultery, Joseph responded by saying, "Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge . . . How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:8-9).

    He was not distracted by his circumstances. Joseph remained focused, which can be difficult to do, especially when time lingers long and the blessings of God seem to evade us. Joseph remained tenacious. God placed within his heart a dream, a goal, a hope, and a desire, and he would not allow the circumstances of life to keep him from realizing God’s greater plan.

    We also could say that Joseph had learned to wait on God. As a young man, Joseph’s father had given him a richly ornamented robe, which was an obvious sign of Jacob’s preferential care for Joseph. But this, along with a "bad report" that Joseph delivered to his father concerning his brothers, was more than enough to set a stormy tone for Joseph’s life.

    From the beginning of the story, it appears that Joseph is on the verge of greatness, but this was not the case. His dreams were dashed repeatedly. And after finding himself in bondage for the second time, Joseph considered bargaining his way to freedom.

    We have stood in Joseph’s sandals. We know what it feels like to be confined to an emotional room with no doors or formal way of escape. But Joseph reasoned that his excellent ability to interpret dreams would secure his freedom. When a fellow inmate had a dream Josephcorrectly interpreted it. He was sure this fellow, who was scheduled to be released, would remember his talent and he would gain his freedom, but this did not happen until years later.

    What was God up to in Joseph’s life? What is He is doing in our lives? When trouble comes and we face it victoriously, why would God not applaud our efforts and release us from our windowless prison cell?

    In order to uncover the answers to these questions, we must go back to the basics of our love for God. We must return to the truth that God is not interested in us accomplishing great things for Him. He is interested in our personal relationship with Him. We cannot serve God until our hearts are fixed on Him and transformed by His love.

    Joseph would rule Egypt. His brothers would bow down to him, but not before Joseph had been transformed by God’s grace and mercy. Brokenness is the way to blessing and Joseph’s repeated confinement provided the right atmosphere for his servanthood training.

    "I want to serve You, Lord" is a prayer that many of us have prayed on countless occasions. But service to God comes with a price tag and usually that means dedication, commitment to the course that God has mapped out for us to travel, and a sincere desire to be broken, if necessary, in order for God’s greatness to shine through our lives.

    "The Suffering Servant" is one of the many titles given to Christ. Jesus was king of the universe, God’s Son, and our reigning Lord, but He is very clear in His declaration of servanthood: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

    Jesus came to earth with the clear understanding that one day He would give His life for you and me. Even though He knew He would be mocked, ridiculed, and betrayed, He came because He had a fixed focus on God’s plan for mankind’s salvation. He served because He was committed to His heavenly Father’s will.

    Servanthood is a call to personal involvement in the lives of others. If we enter into service for God with a question mark in our minds, then our service will be limited to our finite ability. A question mark can represent feelings of fear. "God, what will I do if this turns out badly?" Or we may question God’s ability when life does take a sudden downward turn.

    Our question mark may be represented by our need for personal gain. "What will I get out of this, Lord?" "How much money, position, and power will I have?"

    At the forefront of true servanthood is a desire to obey God and go wherever He calls us to go. We allow Him to work out the details. Is it important that we make an honest, fair wage for the work we do? Yes, but if our focus is set on the position or the money involved, then we will never be fully useable by God. Instead, we will run the risk of being a servant to material wealth and gain.

    Joseph did not seek revenge for the injustice that was done to him. There is no account of a personal desire to end his brothers’ existence. In the end, he could have denied them food and his entire family would have perished. He could have easily justified his actions because Pharaoh had released him from prison and made him the ruler over all Egypt.

    Instead of questioning his brothers, Joseph realized that he was a servant. He opened the granaries and allowed his family to find shelter in his protection.

    God has a pattern for servanthood. Christ revealed it when he said, "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him" (John 12:25-26). Our desire for God and His will must be greater than our personal desires. This does not mean that we forsake pleasure and enjoyment. But it does mean that God is the one who sets the course of our lives, and, by faith, we eagerly follow Him.

• Servanthood is something that God desires of each of us.

• He has a place of service in mind for us. Your place could be in your present job, a relationship, or the ministry. If you will seek the Lord, He will make His will clear to you.

• God measures our future service by our present commitment to servanthood. Joseph’s desire to obey God even in difficult times prepared him for maximum service and blessing.

• Our servanthood gives God an opportunity to use the spiritual gifts He has placed within our lives. A spiritual gift is something that God gives to equip us for kingdom service.

• Servanthood is a call to personal involvement in the lives of other people.

• Service to God will involve conflict. This is unavoidable because our service to God takes place not only on a physical level but also on a spiritual level. There is a spiritual battle that continuously rages against God’s workers.

    The apostle Paul writes, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

    When conflict comes, take a moment to ask God to help you see your circumstances from His perspective. Fighting against another believer only adds fuel to Satan’s fire. Instead of deepening the conflict, pray for God’s wisdom and guidance as you seek a solution to the problems facing you. Be willing to wait as Joseph did, knowing that God has a greater plan in mind than the one you can contrive from your human resources.

    Regardless of his circumstances, Joseph served the Lord, and God blessed him greatly. But the blessings extended far beyond Joseph’s personal life to the lives of his family. Israel would have perished had Joseph refused to be used of God.

    You never know how God will use you. One act of service may be the very thing that God uses to reach countless people. Or He may choose to use you to help your next door neighbor, a friend who lives miles away, or an elderly widow who needs to know that someone cares. A call to servanthood is a call to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Will you accept that call?