To Serve or Not to Serve, That is the Question
- Joshua Clark
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
In the 1932 novel "The Journey to the East" by Hermann Hesse[i], a man recounts his journeys through the desert as part of a spiritual quest. He is enlisted in the ranks of a secret society referred to as the League, and keeps the reason for their mission a secret, but uses this narrative to unfold his perspective on why their closely bound clan had fallen apart dreadfully. This band of brothers worked well together and dedicated their lives to serving this mission. Yet things began to change once Leo, the group’s servant, went missing one night. Never to be found again, the group falls apart. Suddenly, they realized that, although Leo was the lowest in rank, he faithfully served the group's needs and was, in fact, the leader and the glue that held the group together the entire time. Everything fell apart once Leo went missing. Later on in the story, we discover that Leo was the president of the entire league, and the mission was a test to see the group's perseverance through trials – lo and behold, they failed that test. This story illustrates the essence of true leadership – service.
It was this novel that sparked the imagination of Robert Greenleaf, an AT&T executive who rose through the ranks from an entry-level field associate. At the time, AT&T was the largest company in the world, and Greenleaf was responsible for developing its leaders. He developed a philosophy based on the story of Leo and his Quaker faith, which he coined as Servant Leadership. Servant Leadership is now one of the most widely discussed leadership theories in the world, and happens to be what I am currently pursuing for my doctoral degree. The entire premise of Servant Leadership is to flip previous perspectives of leadership upside down. Instead of the people serving the leader and their desires, the leader is, in fact, the servant of the group. Robert Greenleaf describes it as such[ii]
“The servant-leader is servant first...Becoming a servant-leader begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then, conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is a leader first...The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and the most difficult to administer, is this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” - Robert Greenleaf, The servant as leader.
Jesus the Servant
Although beautifully depicted, the concept of servant leadership did not originate here. Instead, almost two thousand years earlier, Jesus gave his disciples the same lesson when he washed their feet[iii]. Back then, people wore sandals and walked everywhere. By the end of their day, their feet were filthy, which became blaringly apparent during mealtime. The dining room was set up with tables close to the ground. Similar to the height of a standard American coffee table. Those attending the meal would lie down or recline toward the table on a cushion placed on the floor. Because of this, other people’s feet would be near their faces. Hence, the need for washing their feet before the meal. Usually, a servant or slave would wash the feet of the attendees. This task was reserved for the lowest ranks of society. Never the host and especially not a rabbi like Jesus. This is why Peter was so appalled when he tried to wash his feet[iv]. Yet, Jesus insisted on demonstrating how they were to serve others. Just as Jesus taught his disciples how to serve, so will his disciples need to do the same. Remember, disciples make disciples.
What does it mean to truly serve?
I had a difficult time when starting to write this article. As I mentioned earlier, I am earning a doctorate in servant leadership. I should feel qualified to teach on such a topic, yet I felt conviction this week. Sure, I know the theories and concepts surrounding serving, but do I, in fact, serve? In many ways, yes, I am married with three kids. I serve them daily, attending to the family's needs, providing the finances to live, and giving my attention, love, and affection. I also like to think that I am someone that people can reach out to for help if needed. Yet, as I prepared to write, I still felt as though there was something missing —a lost component. See, serving cannot be a tactic or an approach to leadership. No, it must become an integral part of their being. To serve, a person must BE A SERVANT. But who wants to be a servant? I surely do not, but that’s the point. It’s not something to wish for, but instead, God changing your heart is what leads you to such a position. Only Christ’s example of serving the lost, the needy, the broken, and the forgotten can ever lead us to do the same.
I am selfish by nature. It comes naturally for me to think about what I will get out of an interaction, in most cases. Just ask my wife; I’m sure she'll come up with an example in no time. This is not the way God intended me to be. For that reason, he gives example after example of how he serves others, because we are not supposed to be selfish. We are supposed to be more like Jesus. That’s why I was hit so hard by this week’s topic. I have studied this topic for several years, and it wasn’t until this week that I truly digested its core meaning. Serving is not just an action; it’s a way of life. Anyone can serve; people do it all the time out of an attempt to look good to others or feel good about themselves. However, that is not what Jesus is talking about. To serve is to BECOME A SERVANT. A person, fully dedicated to living a life as though Jesus were living through them and serving the most needy. A lifetime of this cannot be sustained unless it becomes a very part of our being.
Serving as a part of Discipleship
So, when we consider serving in the grand scheme of discipleship, it fits naturally after surrender. One has to surrender their life to position themselves in a place where they can properly serve. If not, then they are only doing so out of selfish ambition. Yet, once you have surrendered your life to God, the next step naturally comes to serve. There will never be a shortage of work out there for the servants of God. Jesus reminds us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”[v]
Once you open your heart to serving others, an abundance of opportunities will present themselves. Be careful what you wish for, because when you tell the Lord, “Here am I. Send me!”[vi]. Be prepared for him to answer; you will be sent. To be a servant of God means to serve others. If you wish to develop the character of a servant and begin your discipleship journey, here is a table of the characteristics of servant leaders. If you’d like to see how you measure up to these servant leadership traits—and learn how to grow in them—send me an email. I’ll be happy to send you a free survey to get started.
Here are the characteristics of servant leadership distilled by the two leading servant leadership researchers, Larry Spears from Gonzaga University, and Dr. Kathleen Patterson from Regent University (Also the director of my doctoral program, whom I have the honor of learning under).
Characteristics of servant leadership
I would like to include an excerpt from the Journey to the East, of an exchange between the narrator and the servant Leo while they were on their secret mission. I think this so beautifully captures the essence of service.
“I asked the servant Leo why it was that artists sometimes appeared to be only half-alive, while their creations seemed so irrefutably alive. Leo looked at me, surprised at my question. Then he released the poodle he was holding in his arms and said: "It is just the same with mothers. When they have borne their children and given them their milk and beauty and strength, they themselves become invisible, and no one asks about them any more."
"But that is sad," I said, without really thinking very much about it.
"I do not think it is sadder than all other things," said Leo. "Perhaps it is sad and yet also beautiful. The law ordains that it shall be so."
"The law?" I asked curiously. "What law is that, Leo?"
“The law of service. He who wishes to live long must serve, but he who wishes to rule does not live long."
"Then why do so many strive to rule?"
"Because they do not understand. There are few who are born to be masters; they remain happy and healthy. But all the others who have only become masters through endeavor, end in nothing."
"In what nothing, Leo?"
"For example, in the sanitoria."
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References
[i] Hesse, H. (1932). The journey to the East. Noonday Press.
[ii] Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership.
[iii] John 13:1-17
[iv] John 13:8
[v] Luke 10:2
[vi] Isaiah 6:8
[vii] Spears, L. C. (1998). Servant-leadership. Leadership Excellence, 15(7), 11.
[viii] Patterson, K. A. (2003). Servant leadership: A theoretical model. Regent University.