A servant, a leader, a child of God

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

AT first sight, we might think that these three categories are three separate divisions, hardly related to each other and having different rankings in our classification of them, one higher than the others, etc.

But if we follow the truth of our faith about our true identity, these three divisions are united, enjoying the same dignity, much like the relation among the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Somehow, we reminded of this wonderful truth of our faith in that Psalm verse that sometimes is used as Responsorial Psalm at Mass: “For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.” (89,29)

If we truly are children of God and try our best to be consistent to that identity, we cannot help but regard ourselves as a servant who does nothing other than to serve which is the very language of love, as well as a leader in the sense that like Christ and in Christ, we have to lead and rule all things—first of all our own selves, then the others, and the world in general—for the sake of making God all in all in us.

Indeed, to be a servant means prioritizing others’ needs and well-being. It involves humility, empathy and selflessness. And it focuses on serving and empowering others. And to be a leader means guiding, inspiring and influencing others with the proper spirit of God. It involves vision, direction and decision-making. It focuses on achieving a shared goal or mission, which in the end is the redemption of mankind.

All these come as an effect of our being children of God, sharing the very same life, nature and mission of Christ. Precisely because we are children of God, we inherit a dignity that reflects His character that is shown to us by Christ through his teachings and example. It is Christ who teaches us that true greatness actually comes from serving others.

In other words, we really cannot achieve and enjoy the status of being true children of God if we do not serve and do not lead. To be a servant and at the same time a leader is to reflect God’s true character as shown to us by Christ. We are actually called to emulate Christ’s servant-leader heart, prioritizing others’ needs and well-being.

This is the attitude meant for us, with Christ himself as the exemplar. Imagine, Christ served us by dying on the cross. Before that, he shocked his apostles when he insisted that he be allowed to wash their feet. That was to give an example to them, and us, so that what he did we would also do. We have to serve and not be served. This is what true leadership in Christ means.

The angels too, superior to us in nature, are made to serve us, following a divine law articulated by Christ himself when he said: “Let him who is greatest among you become as the youngest, and him who is the chief as the servant.” (Lk 22,26)

We need to be more keenly aware of this law. This is truly what is good for us, providing us with the basic source of strength and consistency we need as we grapple with life’s endless challenges.

This eagerness to lead by serving in Christ really has to be worked out, because with our fallen and wounded nature, every pore of our being tends to go against the law of love expressed in service that God meant for us.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com