“Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45
“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:10
The kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world are very different. Man looks on the outward, the physical. God looks on the inward, the heart. Man is attracted to the beautiful, the talented, the celebrated. God is attracted to the lowly, the meek and the unknown. To man, success is becoming powerful, rich or famous. To God, success is become selfless, humble and a true servant.
Jesus could have come as a king but He didn’t. He chose to be a servant, humbling Himself to take on human flesh and then serving mankind by suffering and dying upon the cross.
His message had never been heard before. The first shall be last. It is better to give than receive. The poor, sick and wretched are all welcome in God’s family. Do not abuse power. Refuse to lord it over anyone. Make no one feel the weight of your authority. Bless those who curse you. Love those who hate you. Pray for those who despitefully use you. Forgive those who have hurt you.
Almost everything Jesus taught runs contrary to the ways of this world. It goes against the grain of our nature. From birth we instinctively learn to please and indulge ourselves. Life should revolve around us. We become self-focused. Everything is about me.
It is not easy to reverse this attitude, to become Christ-like and a real servant. It is not easy to put others ahead of ourselves. But let us pray that God would give us the grace to do just that, to move away from ourselves and begin to focus on others.
“The noblest service comes from nameless hands. And the best servant does their work unseen.” Oliver Wendell Holmes from The Poet at the Breakfast Table
I absolutely love this photo of the Men’s Tuesday Night Upper Room Study taken earlier this year. What comes across to me more than anything else is the love and joy these men felt studying under the mentorship of Pastor Greg, bottom row, second from right.
Prayer Focus This Week…
- Ana Kikerpill – battling cancer and in an especially difficult place right now
- Kelly Viszolay – likewise battling cancer
- Brina Holley – soon to give birth
- The kids baptized last Sunday, that they all grow in Christ
- More kids and adults getting baptized this coming Sunday
A Wonderful Promise: “To those who love Me, I will deliver them. I will set them on high because they know my Name. They will call upon Me and I will answer them. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.” Psalm 91:14,15
Pastor Jay