I WILL STAND STRONG 30 DAY CHALLENGESample

Made to Serve 

You might hear people say, I was born for this. 

It’s another way of saying, I was made to do what I love to do. Which is great to hear. But, guess what? We were made to serve. Yet, serving others isn’t something we always love to do.

If we’re honest, we’d prefer if people served us. 

Think about it. When was the last time you said to someone, I was made to serve you!

Yeah, that’s not something that comes naturally.

Even the disciples of Jesus found it hard to serve one another. In Mark 9:33-37, we discover the disciples arguing over who is the greatest. When they arrived in Capernaum, all the disciples (simultaneously) came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1)?

What nerve to ask Jesus that! As though He had a ranking among them, and through manipulation—they would get Jesus to reveal it. But prominence, in Jewish culture, was a very big deal. Your ranking and position of authority was everything. So, for the disciples, they wanted Jesus to tell them the pecking order among them.

Yet, Jesus, calling His twelve, said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mark 9:35-37).

Can you imagine how small the disciples felt after hearing this? Not exactly what they wanted to hear. 

What Jesus wanted His disciples to understand is: He who takes the lowliest position is the greatest. Not the other way around. The greatness of a person is in proportion to his or her service to God and other people. This is true greatness. 

As a child of God, you are made to be a servant who puts the needs of others above yourself. This isn’t thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.It’s not about achieving the best of something, but pursuing to be the best example of Christ to those around you. 

That’s the attitude of a true servant!

So, although serving others may not always come naturally, ask the Lord to give you the love and patience to be more like Him every day! Strive to get better at serving others before serving yourself.