Serving others is not an easy thing to do in our society, especially when the secular world trains us to have inward thinking. As we seek a life that is obedient to God, we must strive to live like a servant. To begin to live a life of servanthood we must concentrate on three important elements: the heart of a servant, the key to servanthood, and thinking like a servant.[1] By understanding these three elements we can live a life of servanthood, and obedience to God.
The key to servanthood begins with keeping our eyes on Jesus and exemplifying his actions and words. Understanding what matters most to Him, transforms our priorities and we begin to care deeply about the things that are closest to His heart.[2] Jesus, the ultimate servant, who demonstrated every element of a true servant minded leader. Focusing on Jesus will allow us to comprehend his character and his mission through the words He spoke. He gives us a firm understanding of who he is and what his mission is when he states, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, NIV).[3] Just as Jesus willingly suffered for us as a servant to His father, we must also willingly put the needs of others before our own desires and serve our Heavenly Father.
Having the heart of a servant means living a life that honors God and reflects Christ’s values through the character values exemplified in the love that comes from our inner being. Living with the heart of a servant can be applied through selfless acts of love towards others like small acts of kindness, being an active listener, and volunteering your free time to help others with simple tasks. God has blessed each and everyone of us with specific talents and abilities. These gifted attributes are not designed to be used selfishly. Peter instructs us on how to be servant minded while using the talents God has blessed us with. He states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11, NIV).
Thinking like a servant involves a mindset that continuously denies our own desires, and puts the needs of others first. By focusing on others first, our mindset shifts from us to them. A mindset that focuses outward instead of inward is not easy to do for many people.[4] Paul brings great encouragement to the way we must think like a servant when loving our neighbors as ourselves. He inspires us by saying, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13, NIV).
Servanthood is a voluntary form of selfless love for others, loving them as Jesus loves all of us. It should be our mission to live with the heart and mindset that Jesus had. In the end we should all strive to hear the words, “well done good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23, NIV).
Questions to Consider
1. Where can you serve today that will make an impact in your neighborhood or community to share the love of Jesus with others?
2. Take a moment to reflect on your life. Where are there opportunities for you to think like a servant and make a positive impact?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, I ask you today to make we aware of the areas that I have a tendency to focus inwardly in my life. Teach me, oh Lord, how to have a heart of a servant and think outwardly to exemplify your love to others. Help me focus my mind on Jesus and the servant leader He was, so that I can be a leader like Him through my words and actions. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
[1] James Johnson, “Cultivating a Servant’s Heart: A Path to Living Like Jesus,” Daily Christian Journey, (November 28, 2024), accessed September 1, 2025, www.dailychristianjourney.com/2024/11/28/cultivating-a-servants-heart-a-path-to-living-like-jesus.
Before diving into the Gospel of Mark let us take time to understand how to apply the Bible faithfully to our lives. Faithful application begins with faithful interpretation. This means we cannot apply the Bible correctly without understanding the meaning of what we are reading. This process is called exegesis, and it is all about understanding the original meaning of a passage. We must first ask, “What did this mean to the people it was originally written to?” before we ask, “How does this apply to me today?” Once we understand the meaning of the past we can then understand how to apply it.[1]
UNDERSTANDING MARK: LAYING THE FOUNDATION
Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and is structured in two different halves. The first half of Mark’s Gospel reveals the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (Mark 1:1–8:30), with the key word being “authority.” Jesus does everything with authority! The climax of the gospel is in the confession of Peter. Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” Peter answers for the others: “You are the Messiah!” All the authority Jesus has displayed has made an impact on Peter and revealed to him that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and the Savior.[2]
The second half tells us about the mission of Jesus (Mark 8:31–16:8), as a Suffering Servant. In the next three chapters Jesus predicts his suffering and death three separate times (Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:34). These predictions lead us to our monthly memory verse of Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
At the end of His mission, we see Jesus on the cross, fulling the scriptures as He cries out the words of Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).
WHO WAS MARK?
Mark is recognized as John Mark, cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10). He worked with Barnabas and the apostle Paul (Acts 13:5; Acts 13:13; Acts 15:37-41; 2 Tim 4:11). He also spent time with Peter in Rome (1 Peter 5:13). Papias, the early church father, tells us that Mark became Peter’s interpreter and that his writings are a reflect Peter.[3]
Another important verse to study and understand in Mark’s Gospel is, “Whoever wants to be my disciple,” Jesus says, “must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). We will study this verse later as we continue our study of Mark’s Gospel in the coming weeks.
[1] Derrick Rugamba, “What is Biblical Application?” In Truth She Delights, last updated January 21, 2025, www.intruthshedelights.com/what-is-biblical-application/.
[2] Mark L. Strauss, “Mark: The Gospel of the Servant-Messiah The Once-Neglected Gospel,” Bible Project, last updated September 16, 2017, www.bibleproject.com/articles/mark-gospel-servant-messiah/.
Rugamba, Derrick. “What is Biblical Application?” In Truth She Delights. Last updated January 21, 2025. www.intruthshedelights.com/what-is-biblical-application/.
Strauss, Mark L. “Mark: The Gospel of the Servant-Messiah The Once-Neglected Gospel.” Bible Project. Last updated September 16, 2017. www.bibleproject.com/articles/mark-gospel-servant-messiah/.
I have worked in the residential construction industry for many years, and I understand the importance of a solid foundation to a home. Before we begin building the house we must lay a solid foundation. The stronger the foundation, the stronger and more secure the structure will be. The foundation to Bible application is very similar and consists of 4 elements that cohesively support one another to promote spiritual growth. Without a strong spiritual foundation, we will struggle with our spiritual growth. Each one of these elements are blocks, firmly stabilizing your faith and ensuring that it becomes a part of your daily life.[1] Before we start to apply scripture to our daily activities it is important to be self-disciplined, spiritually disciplined, determine a clear starting point, and develop a daily routine.
STEP 1: Self-discipline is a tool that brings our actions together with a purpose. It starts with an intent to have a disciplined routine lifestyle. We gain an inner peace when we intentionally work on our self-discipline, and a sense of purpose as we detach ourselves from the control of the worldly pleasures that once had a hold on our lives and focus on what brings us true joy. Ultimately, self-discipline establishes a purpose from within us to live with intention towards spiritual harmony with God.[2] Scripture encourages us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19, NIV). Focusing on these self-disciplines that James mentions can provide us with a solid foundation in our relationships. Words are powerful and having the discipline to control how we use them can produce maturity in our spiritual life.[3] Practice applying these disciplines in your daily conversations with others. Have an intentional focus of listening before speaking and slowing your anger when you are informed of something you disagree with.
STEP 2: Self-discipline shifts to spiritual discipline when we begin to practice discipline in our relationship with God. Discipline is necessary for spiritual growth and builds character with a deeper connection with God. Practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, studying scripture, and worship and solitude in our daily routine leads to spiritual maturity and discipline.
Pray without ceasing! – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer is simply communicating directly with God in a meaningful and personal way and helps bring guidance and clarity to many situations. To live a prayerful life we can have structured prayers and spontaneous prayers when someone or something comes to our mind.[4] Scripture tells us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV), and “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV). Focusing on these verses, and even writing them down and studying them, can help us build a strong prayer life and allow God to transform our lives. A great way to strengthen our prayer life is to start a prayer journal. Write down who needs prayer and why they need our prayers. Pray for the people on the list each day and when God answers our prayers we can then cross that request off the list.
We can separate ourselves from the worldly desires we crave by fasting. Fasting means to abstain from pleasures for a specific period of time to clear worldly influences from our mind and create room for clarity with God.[5] Most of the time we think of abstaining from food and drink when it comes to fasting. Abstaining from material possessions like cellular devises, social media, and consumerism, can also bring a closeness to God and help us separate from worldly desires. Jesus tells us, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites… But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV). Fasting is intended to be a personal and private sacrifice to draw us closer to God. We can apply this discipline to our lives by picking one day per week to fast from food, television, social media, or anything else that we need to separate ourselves from to spend more time with God. On this designated day spend more time in prayer and studying scripture.
Studying God’s Word
The next spiritual discipline is without a doubt the most important. Studying God’s Word transforms our way of thinking in ways we are not capable of doing ourselves. The author of Hebrews tells us, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). Studying scripture is much different than reading scripture. Studying scripture helps bring us closer to God’s character, teachings, and wisdom.[6] By studying God’s Word we develop a deeper understanding on how to apply it to our lives and prepare our minds for battle in a secular world. When we study and memorize verses that speak to our area of struggle we are equipped with spiritual readiness to resist temptation.[7] To apply this discipline on a daily basis set aside a good time that works best and spend 20 minutes studying God’s Word. Write out a verse to study and spend time researching that verse, and the dynamics that surround that verse. Pick one verse per week or one verse per day, but make sure to study daily.
Finally, learning how to worship and practice solitude brings peace to our lives and relationship with our Heavenly Father. Solitude is personal time set aside to focus on our personal relations with God. During this time our thoughts are centered around being still and being in God’s presence.[8] We pull our mind away from the busyness of life and the demands of this world to work on our personal relationship with God. Joshua provides us with guidance regarding solitude when he says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Joshua 1:8, NIV). Solitude is a necessary means for a deeper peace with God. Similarly to studying the Bible, find a 20-minute time period each day to shut off the television, cell phone, computer, or any other item that grabs your attention. Spend this time in silence and meditation towards the scripture we are studying and think of ways that we can apply that scripture to our life. This time can also be used to practice deep breathing techniques or count the many blessings in your life.
Spiritual disciplines reinforce and strengthen our personal relationship with God and bring clarity as to why we apply His Word to our daily activities. Staying disciplined is not easy but it will bring a new sense of awareness for our journey if we persevere through the difficult times.[9] Practicing these four spiritual disciplines will be transformational for our spiritual journey in many ways.
STEP 3: Determining a clear starting point is beneficial to a commitment to change. The best place to establish a starting point is in the comfort of our own household. It is easier to recognize the items in our house that distract our attention away from our relationship with God and occupy our time away from focusing on applying scripture. Using scripture in our daily routines like meal planning and personal care can be a good starting point in a controlled environment. Another great way to apply the Bible to our daily household routines is to discuss scripture with our family and even work on studying scripture together as a group.[10] Take what we have been practicing in our household and begin to apply it to situations outside the comfort zone of our home. We must apply the words of Joshua to every area of our households. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, NIV). Hanging a sign in our home with the verse on it can be a visual reminder on a daily basis.
STEP 4: Developing a daily routine brings structure and stability to our lives. Having the Sunday “Game Day” approach will bring an intentional approach to our lives. Here’s what I mean! A coach of mine in high school once told me that a great player develops their skills during practices in between game days. This is when a player truly improves their skills, grows, and matures. Our approach to our faith should be looked at from this same perspective. A growing deception in our culture is that you can call yourself a Christian by simply attending a church service for one hour on a Sunday morning, then go on living a life according to a secular worldview from Monday through Saturday. The daily rhythm of walking with the Spirit is a lifestyle we must practice, not just a concept we discuss on Sunday mornings.[11] To grow spiritually, we should have a daily practice of working on our faith and applying scripture, then when Sunday (game day) comes we worship together as a team.
Sunday worship is a central practice to our faith in Christianity. By practicing our faith in our Monday through Saturday routines, we find that God is in our homes, and in our lives, at all times. Living the Christian lifestyle from Monday through Saturday will help us stay committed to applying the Bible to our daily activities.[12] Christianity is not a one day a week activity, it is a daily commitment that we celebrate with community on “game day.”
Questions to Consider
1. How many of these four spiritual disciplines do I practice on a daily basis?
2. In what ways can I begin to apply scripture in my household?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to be more self-disciplined in my daily life. Help me to see the areas that I need to change in order to grow and be a better person. Father, give me the courage to be disciplined in my spiritual life so that I can grow closer to you and walk with you each step of the way. Help my family see the ways we need to honor you in our home to make you Lord of our lives and our home. Father, thank you for your love! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
[2] Medina Alkadir, “Self-Discipline: A Path to Spiritual Fulfillment,” Medium, November 20, 2024, www.medium.com/@menaep121/self-discipline-a-path-to-spiritual-fulfillment-082e3d02e589.
[3] Sophia Theodore, Living the Fruit of the Spirit Every Day: A Practical Christian Discipline Guide, Cleveland, OH: Independently Published, 2025, 116.
[4] Kobe, “Discipline: Personal and Spiritual Growth.”
[5] Alkadir, “Self-Discipline: A Path to Spiritual Fulfillment.”
[6] Kobe, “Discipline: Personal and Spiritual Growth.”
[7] Theodore, Living the Fruit of the Spirit Every Day, 114.
[8] Theodore, Living the Fruit of the Spirit Every Day, 14.
[10] Jamie Jo Wright, “6 Simple Ways to Bring the Bible into Your Family’s Daily Life,” Crosswalk, March 25, 2025, www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/simple-ways-to-bring-the-bible-into-your-familys-daily-life.html.
[11] Theodore, Living the Fruit of the Spirit Every Day, 15.
[12] Dr. Carson E. Reed, “Monday to Saturday Faith,” Mosaic, April 21, 2021, www.mosaicsite.org/main/2021/4/21/monday-to-saturday-faith
