True Greatness Comes Through Serving Others

Man, I got into something last night reading about Pride and Humility and I want to shift gears today and talk about it and share some of what I’m reading. “But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Matthew 20:25-28 I find the words of today's scripture reading very confronting. In a society that encourages us to exercise the power within for the sole benefit of getting ahead, Jesus’ words cut through 2,000 years of history and hit us right between the eyes. Add to this our carnal nature, propelling us along the river of pride, telling us that we are the masters of our own destiny, the captain of our ship. How do we combat such forces and adopt a spirit of humility? I believe there’s a clue in these verses.In the upside-down kingdom, the first would be last and the last would be first. The greatest would be the one who serves. Serving requires us to lay down our own desires to meet the needs of others…meaning the shedding of pride and adoption of humility.Who is it that you can serve today? Can you serve your spouse and encourage them on to be the best, most wholesome version of themselves? Could you serve your children by sacrificing a personal benefit in order to meet their emotional or spiritual needs? Could you honor and serve your elderly parents or grandparents by taking them along with you on that vacation? Or how about drive the extra 30 minutes to bless them with a surprise visit? What about your team, work colleagues, local church, or community group?Again, I ask, who is it that you can serve today?Be Nice. Grace wins.