“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’” – Mark 9:35
How do you define greatness? What does greatness look like to you? To your family? Your friends? You community? Your city? Your nation? How high of a value to you place on greatness? Most often we look at greatness in terms of power, prominence, and prestige. How expensive is your watch? Who made your clothes? How new is your car? What version of the iPhone are you using? Jesus says something very interesting to His disciples regarding greatness that was as counter-cultural in His day as it is in our own.
Jesus teaches us that to be great is not to have the biggest, brightest, newest, most expensive toys, gadgets, cars, or clothes; to be great in God’s eyes is to be humble. The will of God is that we would be humble and stop thinking so highly of ourselves and our successes. To be great is to submit to the will of God and to be a servant to everyone around us. This means serving your family, friend, and co-workers but it also means serving those you don’t like or who don’t like you.
Take this day to ask God for opportunities to submit to His will and allow Him to guide to in serving others. Ask Him for insight to know how to serve in the way He wants you to, and for help in being obedient to all that He says.
Ancient Abandon 