For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 (ESV)
As Christians we have heard it said many times that God is not our servant, rather we were created to serve God. Well, in the sense that God is not our slave and we are not his master those sentiments are very true. However, we should make careful consideration that first and foremost God is a servant to man.
God is certainly not subservient to us, but he does serve us everyday by answering our prayers and meeting our physical and spiritual needs. God himself tells us to ask him for what we need. Jesus said, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)
The apostle Peter wrote, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3 ESV) The reason God serves us (grants us all things that pertain to life and godliness) is because he has called us to his own glory and excellence. When God serves us he gets glory. We were created for his glory. So, in a way we were created for God to serve us, in as much as his service to us brings him glory. God’s service to us is not based on our worthiness to be served, but on his passion to display his own glory.
Jesus served man (by doing the will of the Father) his entire life then gave up his life for man (Galatians 1:4, 2:20). We know that everything Jesus did he did for the glory of the Father (John 7:18). Though he was God, Jesus emptied himself and took on the form of a servant. The reason and result are that every tongue will confess him as Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus will also serve us when he comes again (Luke 12:35-37). Yet, even now he prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5)
Paul preached in Athens, The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:23-25 ESV)
We should be careful when we talk about “serving God.” I know that sounds weird because we’ve heard all our lives that we should serve God. And we should serve God in the sense that the Bible tells us that we are servants and we should be obedient to what he tells us to do (Psalms 100:2). But, we must be careful in our serving to let God serve us or we will rob him of his glory.
Will you rob God of his glory?
Scriptures for meditation:
2 Chronicles 16:9
Matthew 6:7-8
Luke 12:22-32
John 15:16; 16:24
Romans 10:12
Philippians 4:19