Developing the Faith of a Humble Servant

Soon after I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, my neighbor invited me to prayerfully read through the Bible in a year with her. I agreed to join her, though I didn’t really think reading the Bible would actually make a difference in my life. After all, it was just a book.

Suggested Reading: Genesis 24

Soon after I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, my neighbor invited me to prayerfully read through the Bible in a year with her. I agreed to join her, though I didn’t really think reading the Bible would actually make a difference in my life. After all, it was just a book.

As we studied God’s interactions with His people in the Old and New Testaments, I began to see proof of His consistent character and faithful love.

Oh, how I wanted to live for Him!

But a war waged between my self-serving heart and my desire to have a surrendered servant’s heart. I became easily distracted and often succumbed to doubt.

I asked the Lord to help me know Him and love Him so that I could serve Him from the overflow of His love for me.

To my surprise, God led me to a nameless servant in Genesis 24.

When Abraham sent his servant to seek out a wife for his son, Isaac, the nameless man fretted over his ability to complete the task (Genesis 24:1–5).

I could relate to this man as I, too, struggled with insecurities and fears that kept me from stepping up and serving the Lord.

Who was I to serve the King of Kings? I wore my badge of insufficiency comfortably, accepting my self-assigned role as a nobody with no experience and nothing to offer. What if I disappointed God? What if I messed up? What if I wasn’t good enough?

Abraham assured the nameless servant that the Lord would be with him, and then he equipped him with all he needed for his travels (vv. 6–10). The man left his comfort zone and grew in confidence.

Though Scripture doesn’t tell us how much time passed before the servant arrived in Nahor, but we do know how this servant spent his time.

He stopped, prayed, and released his worries into God’s able hands and acknowledged the power of God’s steadfast love (vv. 10–14). With an honest and confident prayer, the servant watched with expectancy as he waited for God’s answer (vv. 15–21).

Abraham’s life of faith must have impacted this nameless servant, because he knew that God deserved the credit for his success (vv. 22–27).

Even when Rebekah’s brother tried to distract him from his purpose and delay him, the servant continued to listen and obeyed his master’s command (vv. 33–61). Through his faithful obedience and demonstration of trust, he played a vital role in God’s plan (vv. 62–67).

We can never be God’s nameless servants. He knows our names, hears us, and answers us.

But as we endure hardships, battle insecurities, and face distractions, we can develop the faith of humble servants who are willing to hear and heed the God-breathed words He’s preserved in Scripture.

—-

Lord Almighty, thanks for affirming Your unending love for us as You help us to come before You as humble servants, ready to follow Your leading one day at a time.

Give us wisdom to stop when we need guidance, pray with confidence, and release our worries into Your capable hands.

Help us acknowledge You as our Holy God, full of goodness and mercy, as we watch You fulfill Your promises with confident expectancy.

Help us listen to You, to hear You clearly and obey You completely, even when our journey doesn’t go as smoothly or end as quickly as we expected.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How did your life change when you chose to live with a servant’s heart instead of a self-serving heart?

Is it harder for you to stop, pray, release, acknowledge, watch, or listen to God?

—Written by Xochitl Dixon. Used by permission of the author. Click here to connect with Xochitl.

20 Responses

  1. In serving God I notice a more loving and forgiving heart to all not some of God’s people.. I am eager and willing to serve the Lord in well doing. I do want to serve self less as I live and learn in Christ Jesus. It has been laid upon my heart that I find it difficult to listen to God. To take the quiet moments and spend quality time with the Lord with ears to hear him speak to me in that personal relationship he has given us so freely. I love the Lord and I pray his loving kindness and forgive me. In the name of Jesus.

  2. Beautiful writing and prayer at the end. I am saving this in my safari so I can go back and read it again when I needed to. Thank you!!!

  3. I haven’t quite reached the servant’s heart. I am still in the self-serving stage. I try to spend time each morning and evening in prayer, but am often distracted. I stop, ask for help, with some success, but not always.

  4. It is so hard to give up on our own agendas especially when family and friends are involved,but stepping back refocusing on God and letting go (really hard to do) I find that God is there willing to help at anytime. PRAISE HIS NAME, AMEN

  5. No, is not harder for me to stop, pray, release, acknowledge, watch out listen to God because on my journey He’s constantly doing for me what He says He’ll do in John 14:21, whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me Erik be live loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. When I first read this scripture, I thought what else can I ask for, what else do I need after this. In the words of the late Michael Jackson "This is it." I praise Him for His love for me. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God.

  6. I’m still in the process of letting go and let God but I can say that the times that I was truly able to give it to him it worked out so well for me but I know with my patience and faith this too will pass Amen and thank you Lord

  7. When I chose to live with a servant’s heart, I actually began to live, to have a life, to love my life, because I truly love my Lord! It is easy to stop, pray, release, acknowledge, watch and listen to God. In fact, I do it often throughout the day!

  8. I needed to read this! Every single day when my son is napping I go through a battle. Am I going to read my Bible which fills me and refreshes me? Or am I going to waste time on something worldly like Facebook. I realized yesterday that the reason I fight it so bad is because it’s the flesh fighting the new self.

  9. This is so beautiful and warm n inviting to surrender to Our Father wuth a servants heart. Thank u just what I needed to start my DAY!! Blessings to you ALL!!

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