Description

Definition
The serving aptitude motivates a person to offer their skills to accomplish another’s goals or to meet their needs. This often includes the ability to identify and use whatever resources are available. It is task-oriented, focusing on the work to be done, rather than people-oriented. This is the primary difference between the serving and helping aptitudes. A helper generally is loyal to an individual and is willing to do whatever the person needs. A server generally specializes in certain skills and offers the service to whomever needs it.
This aptitude is listed in Romans 12:7: “If [a man’s gift] is serving, let him serve.” The Greek word used in this verse is diakonos, similar to the English word “deacon.” It refers to a servant or attendant, one who does work as a service. It describes someone who performs a service and emphasizes their relationship to their work. This is different from being a slave or bond servant, which emphasizes bondage to a master.
As a server, you may be very task-oriented, often focusing on a single type of service requiring a special skill. You provide your service to whomever needs it, usually with very little personal commitment to the recipient and you may not have many close friends. Even if you are very friendly and personable, you are usually more interested in your work than in relationships with the people you serve.
Others consider you a good worker and you are usually effective at what you do. You very likely are a specialist and usually have high standards for your work. You may often do things for others because you have difficulty refusing and this can lead you to overcommit yourself. When providing your service, you can be a dependable worker, needing very little direction or supervision. You know your skill and how to accomplish the task, so you very likely prefer working without supervision. The higher your personal standards, the more reliable and dependable you are likely to be.
Because you get most of your fulfillment from what you do, you may prefer to do your work and move on to something else without drawing much attention to yourself. Mostly what you want from people, after payment for your services, of course, is their appreciation of your quality workmanship. You are mostly self-fulfilled, so you may not need much affirmation from others. You need to know that you have done something worthwhile and done it well (by your own standards).
You probably have a high regard for quality. You usually have high standards for your own work and therefore appreciate quality in materials, tools, and finished products. If money is a high priority to you because of another aptitude, you may have less concern for quality and your personal work standards may also be lower. Generally, however, you will have a good assortment of tools for your trade or hobby because you know they are essential to producing quality results.
You are usually very conscientious in your work. You are dedicated to it and it is your greatest source of fulfillment. You are usually working on something because working is as enjoyable as playing, and you can probably work long hours because you enjoy your work. You can be very resourceful and imaginative, visualizing solutions to problems and ways to use your resources to complete the task.
Typical Characteristics
● Have a skill you enjoy using to do work for others.
● Prefer to specialize in your work, developing certain skills.
● Have very high standards for your work, higher than those of the person you work for.

Tendencies
Priorities: production, tasks, and results. Your main emphasis is on getting something done, and you are willing to make a personal sacrifice to do it. You prefer to meet needs as quickly as possible. You prefer to do a job quickly, yet effectively, and then move on to the next task.

Misunderstandings
Your inclination to work quickly or even if not asked may make you appear pushy or proud.

Vocations and Roles
Service industry, repair technician, skilled craftsman, first-level management, consultant, and system analyst.

Perversions

Self-Centeredness
(Perverts your aptitude by focusing it on you, emphasizing the pleasure or fulfillment it gives you.)
When you see a need, you may feel you have to do something even if it is not your responsibility. Turning work down is hard for you to do. This can lead you to provide your service for someone when they need to learn a skill, accept responsibility, or provide for themselves. Your desire to serve makes it difficult for you to receive service when you have a need or to call a professional.

Extremes
(Perverts by exaggerating, taking your characteristics and tendencies to extremes.)
You can become preoccupied with your work, whether it is your occupation or hobby. This may cause you to overlook personal and family needs. Your high standards may cause you to be indifferent to those of the person you are serving. Someone may want something simple to fill a need, but with your high personal standards and own ideas about how it should be done, you may do more than the person wanted.

Control
(Self-centeredness makes you want to be in control, and you struggle for control in a way that is unique to your character.)
You feel a need for control if you disagree with the plan or standard set by your client or employer. You seize control by rejecting their standard and working according to your own.

Redemption

Putting on Important Traits
Certain godly character traits are especially important to you as a server. Consciously developing the following traits will help you serve others by offering your particular skills.

● Humility (Considers self relatively unimportant compared to others; prevents using abilities for one’s own satisfaction.) Humility allows you to consider yourself unimportant and prevents you from using your abilities primarily for your own satisfaction. It also prevents you from becoming arrogant about your skills and showing off your work, which is different from advertising your work to gain new business.
● Agape (Considers others’ welfare, needs, interests, and desires more important than your own; motivates you to act for others’ benefit regardless of personal impact.) Agape helps you make the needs, interests, and desires of those you serve top priority and serve them despite any personal impact or sacrifice. It also causes you to give your family time and attention, rather than consider the work you do as an adequate expression of love.
● Kindness (Appropriate, mild, and pleasant behavior toward others; expressed in actions that meet another person’s need or desire.) Like agape, kindness enables you to respond appropriately to the needs, interests, and desires of those you serve.
● Perseverance (Patient endurance.): Perseverance motivates you to keep working until you achieve the desired results.
● Zeal (Intense eagerness to experience a desired result; intense emotion that compels action.) This is an intense eagerness to see God’s will be done through the service you provide.

Repentance, Renewing Your Mind
(The changes you need to make in the way you think, including your attitudes, standards, priorities, and perspective.)
Your role is to offer your skills to meet the needs of others, rather than work to satisfy yourself. Learn to serve others by meeting their needs while exceeding their expectations and quality standards. You honor them by doing this and charging reasonable fees. Be careful not to make work a higher priority than your relationships with God and your family.

Denying and Humbling Yourself
(Rejecting your own desires and self-interests. Refusing to be motivated by desire for recognition or credit for the results.)
You do not need the best tools and materials just for your own satisfaction. Become a true servant by paying attention to other people’s needs and considering how you can help them achieve their goals or meet their needs. Feeling like you are always serving others but no one is serving you is a symptom of self-centeredness; trust God to take care of you especially when you think He is not.

Taking up Your Cross
(Accepting that which has potential for great harm, threatens to break you down, or reveals your inadequacies.)
You prefer to set your own work and quality standards, so it can be very frustrating to work for someone who keeps looking over your shoulder or tells you how to do your job. If you take a job for someone who has much lower quality standards, you must serve their interests by working to their standards, even if it might harm your reputation, or else provide higher quality for the same price. Another way to take up your cross is to accept one of those distasteful jobs you normally avoid and give it your best effort–no excuses or shortcuts.

Following Jesus
(How you uniquely imitate Jesus by doing what He would in your situation.)
Jesus made the following comment about His work: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what He sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Jesus served everyone who came to Him for help but He allowed the Father to decide what He should do.

Becoming Like a Child
(Accepting what God gives you, believing what He tells you, trusting Him to take care of you, and simply doing what He says.)
Rely on the Lord to show you which projects to take and when you have done enough. Trust Him to take care of your needs while you serve others.