The Lesson of Service

You Gotta Serve Somebody

Today we are looking at the second means of the training of Joshua to lead Israel. When everyone wants to be and is told they can be a leader, nobody wants to be a servant. It just doesn’t sound so glorious. Yet the great apostle Paul consistently referred to himself as the servant, the slave, of Christ – and therefore of everyone else. This is magnificently portrayed by Paul in the early church hymn of Christ’s humility in Philippians 2.6-11.

Joshua became the servant of Moses, whom he served faithfully for at least forty years. Whist we could think this would have been a privilege, which it was, it was also dangerous. At times Moses commanded Joshua to take on enemies in battle. That is not something to be treated lightly; it has a potentially lethal cost attached to it. Yet it appears Joshua did it without complaint. He served Moses when it was inconvenient, as well as when it may have been advantageous. Can we say the same of ourselves?

People who are gifted often find serving beneath their dignity, or not in line with their preferred destiny. But it is those like Joshua, who can serve comfortably, in whom real character development and strengthening can take place. It is always in the cauldron of a fire (a fiery desert in Joshua’s case) that real character growth transpires. It is always more than just gifts that will be able to effectively lead others. Joshua learnt to lead in the promised land by being able to serve in a difficult and forbidding environment.

On occasions in the wilderness journeys of Israel, Joshua prevailed in battle, but only because the hands of Moses were lifted. In other words, our victories are not because of ourselves; they are because of the authority of those we serve. It is our connections that cause us to succeed, not merely our abilities. Joshua learnt this valuable lesson in the wilderness.