There is no doubt that one of the most shocking and yet inspiring events that Jesus performed took place at the last meal with His disciples. He rose from the meal, girded Himself, poured water in a basin, washed and then dried the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17). This was a vital lesson for His followers. He was their Lord, Master and Leader. Jesus stated that if He did not do this act of service, they had no part with Him. The lesson was that they too, who would be servants of God, would always have humility in their hearts. The lesson was one of humility within the role of leading and serving.

We are to walk humbly before God since He is the Great Giver of everything (Micah 6:8). Without that, we have no part with Christ. At the same time, God’s servants are to be bold (Ephesians 6:19-20). The disciples had to struggle to learn this lesson and all who would be followers of Christ must understand it too.

A life of service

One of the most highly respected and best-known people in the last 75 years was Queen Elizabeth II—the Queen of the British Empire. She was highly respected for her attitude of service to mankind and her high devotion to her religious beliefs. What is amazing about this person is that her coronation in 1953 was the most watched event in the history of television at that time—and her funeral in 2022 was the most watched event in the history of television ever, with an estimated 2.5 billion viewers worldwide. She set a remarkable example of being humble all of her life and yet fulfilling the position of Queen.

What is not always known to the public was that during her coronation, a private, personal event took place which was considered too sacred to show on television. Elizabeth Windsor without any royal trappings, in a simple white dress was anointed and ordained to be a servant of God to the people, before she was to be crowned Queen. The significance of her coronation was not that a lot of people were watching, but her understanding of what she was committing herself to. She vowed to serve the people as a servant of God and this was no doubt the most solemn and important moment of her entire life. Every element of the service pointed in one direction; she was vowing to serve her people as a servant of God. As Handel’s anthem “Zadok the Priest” was sung, the symbols of the Queen’s status were removed—the crimson velvet robe, the diamond diadem and the coronation necklace. And then there she was, in a simple white dress.

In a radio address at the age of 21, Elizabeth had already begun to walk in the path of service. Her statement then was: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. God help me to make good my vow.” Queen Elizabeth fulfilled the role of leading lady of the empire and a humble servant of God to the people for 70 years. At her death, all the robes and elements of royalty were removed and the person, the servant of God, was buried with no royal finery, but simply as Elizabeth Windsor—the person who had humbly asked for God’s help at the beginning of her leadership role and was highly respected for fulfilling her role as a humble leader in a troubled world.

Leaders require humility

The history of the world, as well as that of Israel, is filled with men who were unable to wear the virtue of humility at the same time they bore the robes of leadership. The sorrowful account of King Saul of Israel (1 Samuel 15:17-35) is one of many that show that a servant of God must first remain humble and thus obedient to God above all. King Solomon was another whom God had chosen to be a servant to the people, but who did not remain humble before God and was removed as leader by God.

The book of Daniel carries a fascinating account of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He was not an Israelite king, but he understood that God had made him a king. Nebuchadnezzar was humble at first, but his pride grew to the point that God would no longer use him. In mercy, God did teach this gentile king a lesson. Almighty God is the only God, and He puts kings in power, but also removes them when arrogance, vanity and pride take over. Daniel 4:34-37 records the last words of Nebuchadnezzar and the lesson he learned. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride, He is able to put down.”

Almighty God truly is Almighty. He is completely in control of all matters in this world. All whom He places in a position of leadership must understand and follow the lesson of humility first and authority and power afterwards. That was the lesson Christ imprinted on His followers that Passover evening. Christ came to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:28). All who would please God and walk with the Father and Son are to be of this mind. Without this rare quality, we have no part with Christ.

Our heavenly Father loves to give good gifts to His children. He blesses them in many ways and seeks to give the everlasting gift of eternal life. We all may have gifts—large or small, so all have an opportunity to serve others at some time. However, God is looking for one who will not omit being humble no matter the role of leadership or service he/she occupies. Mark 9:35, 39-50 relates the need to be a servant in all we do, in order to be considered “first” by God.

The lesson Christ gave is not only for the ministry, but for every member of God’s Church. The apostle Peter had learned this vital lesson during his closeness with Christ. Peter taught his followers and fellow servants to serve as shepherds who truly care about those they lead. He said they are to be examples to those they serve. In his words of encouragement to his fellow elders, Peter emphasized the role of a serving leadership (1 Peter 5:1-4).

In our minds, we may find it a contradiction to be humble as we are called upon to make decisions or face hardships and at times face opposition. But if we want the support and help of Almighty God, that is the only way to success that He accepts. Being a servant of God does not preclude being bold and strong. All success depends on His blessing and that is not given when pride, vanity and ego take front stage.

Riding two horses

We in the Church are like people riding two horses. One is named Humble, the other Bold. We ride humble and bold! How do we do ride two? We must first mount Humble before we can also ride Bold. Horses have different gaits, sizes, rhythms, etc. So constant practice and care are needed to maintain the expertise that allows a trick rider to ride the two horses. A man can also have a “bad day” with dizziness, a headache, fear, etc., even in an arena where a rider is riding two horses bareback. The nearest and first horse mounted must be gentler and patient while the outside or second horse will be more excited and speedier. Wonderful tricks can be done, but only if one foot is on the gentle horse, while the other foot rests safely on the horse that has less control. When this important principle is understood, and followed in our lives, we will always have the support and love of God the Father and Christ the Son in our hearts.

God offers the priceless gift of eternal life—to us mortal humans. We can do nothing to earn or deserve that gift, but through pride, we can lose the favor God offers. We are bankrupt in and of ourselves (Mark 8:36-37). The robes of leadership are important for a mother and father, as well as for leaders of nations or Church members. Wear them well, but over the white dress of humility.