True Servanthood

Recently I was privileged to view the live blogging of Pr Sivin Kit who attended a seminar on Christian Servanthood by Dr Siang Yang Tan. It was an experienced to see his live commentary of the talk as it progressed throughout the day. It was as if I was attending the seminar at the same time. The thrill was to look forward for next comment or summary of what Dr Tan was talking about. Here is the link to his blog, Sivin Kit’s Garden. The seminar was based on Dr Tan’s book entitled “Full Service: Moving from Self-Serve Christianity to Total Servanthood. And today I bought the book  in order to have a deeper understanding of the topic.

The book has received outstanding review from Richard J Foster, Founder of RENOVARE. He says:

True service is close to the heart of all who are following hard after Jesus. For this I welcome Full Service by Siang Yang Tan. Dr Tan has wonderfully distilled and critiqued the vast literature on servanthood and leadership, and in addition, given us practical insights into how servanthood looks like in daily life. Full Service is itself a genuine act of service.

Dr Tan describes “True Servanthood” in this ways:

True servanthood flows out of a deep friendship with Jesus. True servanthood is empowered by the Holy Spirit as a result of abiding or remaining in Jesus (John 15:5), producing spiritual, eternal fruit in becoming more like Jesus and touching many lives for Jesus by drawing people to him. True servanthood is characterized by loving obedience to the Lord, and compassionate ministry to others. True servanthood fulfills our deepest longings and calling. It does not diminish us or others, except to die to our sinful, false self. True servanthood enables us to grow up mature and real in Christ, with authenticity. True servanthood is not about imitating Jesus or trying to be like him through our own self-efforts. It is about living in Jesus and Jesus living in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is about Jesus then living through us to reach out to the broken world with love and friendship, centred in our loving friendship with him first. True servanthood focuses on God and not the individual.

Now I must continue to read on…..