Be First Be a Servant
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20: 26-28
The verses above, was Jesus’s response when the mother of Zebedee’s two sons, ask Jesus if they could sit on right and left of Jesus’s throne in Heaven. Another incident occurred between the apostles, when A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. (Luke 22:24) But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Luke 22:26) The apostles appeared to be prideful since they were chosen by Jesus to be his apostles.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6) God opposes the proud, because a prideful Christian doesn’t have their identity secure in Christ. We are first in the Lord’s eyes when we serve, and respected by people when we show a servant attitude. If we have a servant attitude, we live to help others whenever possible.
Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8) Jesus came to serve, because he came to save people from their sins and tell them how to live so the Heaven would be their home. Jesus ministered to people with a humble serving Heart, because how could he minister with a prideful Heart? In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)
If we start serving others, we need to see people the way Jesus saw people. With a heart of love and compassion, but never avoiding God’s truth. We minister to people from wherever they are in their walk, and instill in their minds a positive attitude. When we minister to someone who is sinning, we have scripture to show it is God’s Word’s and not ours.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4) In order to minister to others, we value others above self, just as Jesus valued others. How can we minister to someone if we are looking down at them; we look and see the potential in them and how great they will be when walking with Christ.
Today live as a servant with a humble heart, because it will be satisfying and rewarding. You are doing it for Christ because your identity and self-worth comes from Christ and not from man.
Prayer: Lord give me a strong and humble heart to be a servant to everyone, and to have compassionate heart to help others. In Jesus name, Amen