How do you define greatness or worth?
Some might consider such things as authority, wealth, position or the esteem of others as the hallmark of greatness. A person displaying all these ‘attributes’ might expect to be on the receiving end of great service. Self becomes the overarching motivation in thought and conduct.
Mark 10: 42 – 45
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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.”
Jesus, however, measured greatness not in terms of self importance or position rather in terms of your service. God determines your greatness by how you serve people, not how many people serve you.
This is concept is foreign to large sections of humanity and many would struggle with implementing such an idea. Jesus made this statement in the passage in
response to his disciples jockeying for position and prominence.
I have copious books on leadership, yet it’s a drop in the bucket with the available literature on offer. Yet the most valuable contributions centre on Christs example of servant leadership. Being a leader is not about waving your arms around and giving directions like a traffic policeman. It is standing shoulder to shoulder with a person doing the dishes, picking up and moving chairs, its acting like a humble private rather than a general. Even Christ our Lord called himself a servant.
Knowing your position is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is manifestly more crucial. Scripture speaks of us being made to carry out acts of service with the same humility as Christ (Phil. 2). Without the right heart attitude, you will be tempted to exempt yourself from meeting some needs.
We have no excuse, if you see someone in trouble there should be a desire to help the person. No one should hide behind a lack of giftedness when it comes
to acts of service. Have you a servant heart for the benefit of others? Do you serve begrudgingly? Are you happy that God gets the glory through what you do?
Jesus said, “You can tell what they are by what they do” (Matthew 7:16).
Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov on Unsplash