Christlike Servanthood

I recently read a journal entry at Uncommon Voices Collective from my good friend, Daniel Fong, about Christlike Servanthood. I wanted to pass it along to you, as I trust his thoughts will bless you this advent season.

Christlike Servanthood

FOUNDER OF MILLION DOLLAR BABY

For the past three months, I have been traveling quite a bit; Aspen for the fall colors, Honolulu for my sister’s sixtieth birthday, New York and Philadelphia to attend my first in-person board meeting for Christianity Today and Geneva Switzerland. I have had numerous conversations regarding the various theological subjects that I have been studying, like being before doing, a focus on servanthood instead of leadership, and none of me and all of him. Even though I have not written a  founder’s update since the end of August, I have been diligently studying, thinking deeply, and carefully reviewing conversations from divine appointments, the people who the Spirit has led me to. I would like to report to you my latest revelation that seems to offer a very cohesive structure that ties all my passionate subjects together.

While meditating on Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death,” I am able to link the law of sin and death to Newton’s law of universal gravity that pulls down everything to the ground. Like gravity, there is no human effort, no matter how hard we try, that will allow us to defy it. If we jump off a tall building, we will fall. Such is the reality of the law of sin and death. It is an inevitable reality that humanity must face, no matter how hard we try to resist. Have you ever wondered why sin and death are described as “burdens” or even a “dead weight,” always pulling us down? Paul said “all have sinned” in Romans 3:23. And sooner or later, we all will die.

Watchman Nee, in his Basic Lessons series cautioned that many Christians try to do good through works and self-effort to overcome sin and fail miserably. We replace the burden of sin with the burden of good works, worship, ministries, and missions. It is why for many of us, trying to be a good Christian is very labor intensive and very tiring. It is obvious to me that we cannot fight the law of sin and death with good works or “doing.”

The only remedy, according to Paul, is the law of the Spirit of life. How does the law, not the Spirit, but the law of the Spirit of life, set us free?

I propose that we follow Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8, “finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” What we think about in our minds and hearts are direct reflections of our being. Or as Martin Luther might say, “the letter (of the law) kills, but the spirit (of the law) gives life.” We think before we do. Therefore, it is not about our doing. It is all about our being: who we are and what we dwell on. We focus our being on Christ by following Philippians 4:8. Filling our minds with Philippians 4:8 thoughts is like filling a hot air balloon with hot air or helium. The buoyancy force relates to Newton’s laws of motion, and can counter or defy the law of gravity, allowing the hot air balloon to rise and “fly.” While we cannot humanly defy the law of sin and death, getting on a hot air balloon that follows the law of the Spirit of life will set us free, free from the gravity of sin and death.

While I was practicing this reorientation of my thinking, I realized that focusing on servanthood and loving all my neighbors, including my enemies, requires thinking about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. In fact, servanthood is a relief from the burden of leadership and the biblical response to bad leadership. Moreover, consider Galatians 5:22, that being loving, joyful, peaceful, kind, good, patient, faithful, gentle and under self-control are indeed reflections of the being of Christ. I believe this is what Paul is referring to in Galatians 2:20  when he says,

“I no longer live but Christ lives in me” means. What we think about and how we think are proof that we need to have Christ living in us. It is my proclamation of “none of me, and all of him.”

For many nights now, I have recited Philippians 4:8 and Galatians 5:22 as I fall asleep. The experience is one of ultimate peace and rest.

Is this what eternal Sabbath feels like? Try it, and let me know.

Daniel Fong

More Information

This article has been reposted with permission; it was originally published on December 14, 2021 located here:

https://uncommonvoicescollective.space/foundersupdate

Photo courtesy of Daniel Fong

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Joe Handley

President at A3.business

Dr. Joseph W Handley, Jr. is currently president of A3.business. Joe was born and raised in Southern California. He attended Azusa Pacific University (APU) where he earned a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in Theology. Joe served nine years at APU where he was the founding director of their Office of World Missions and leader of one of the first multi-national high school mission congresses in Mexico City in 1996. The Lord then called him to Rolling Hills Covenant Church in 1998 where Joe served as the Global Outreach Pastor and later the Associate Pastor for Outreach Ministries. In 2008, Joe answered the call of God to become the president of A3, a leader development movement that began in 1967 which launched A3.business in 2015. Recently, Joe completed his Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.

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Latest posts by Joe Handley (see all)

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