July 18
Mark 10:41-45
Do you remember the other day when I said that sometimes it is necessary for God to teach me something several times before it finally sinks in? Apparently, the disciples were slow learners as well. In Mark 9:33-37 Jesus had already told the disciples “If anyone wants to be first, he must be very last, and the servant of all.” (9:35b NIV) Yet here He is again, explaining the importance of humility. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” (vs. 43b-44 NIV) It is so easy to get sucked into the world’s way of thinking. The world is all about glory, but it is the wrong kind of glory. The world tells us that we need to have a job that makes a lot of money so we can have a nice house, and a nice car, and our children can wear Baby Gap. But that is not God’s kind of glory. To be great with God we must be humble, and we must be servants. Even Jesus was a servant, and we are to follow His example. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2:5-9 NIV)
Principle: The way up is down no matter what the world thinks.
Application:
1. Do I become indignant toward another’s weakness when that same weakness is in me?
2. What is my motivation in serving Christ or His people?
3. What practical things can I do today to reflect Christ’s example of servanthood toward those in my home? my job? my church?
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"to serve, not to be served." I long for those I am trying to teach to grasp these words. Most Christians seem to choose a church based on "what will this church do for me?" We evaluate church services by, "what did I get out of it?" WHAT IF church became a place "to serve, not to be served?" What if our objective in gathering together was to see how much good we could pour into the lives of our brothers and sisters and the lost among us? Don't you think people would leave church feeling much more fulfilled? Lord help me find ways to teach this principle to my flock.
ReplyDeleteQuestion #3… What practical things can I do today to reflect Christ’s example of servanthood? I had an opportunity to help someone yesterday. But it didn’t feel as if I was giving of my time because it was something that I really enjoyed doing anyway. I think that if we take advantage of the “the talents” or “spiritual gifts” that The Lord gives us, and minister to others in those areas, than the concept of “to serve” might not as threatening.
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