“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:43-45
Servant Leadership
Daily Devotion – October 22, 2024
Devotion based on Mark 10:43-45
See series: Devotions
If your main goal in life is to meet the needs of others, not yourself, what does that make you? A flight attendant? The parent of a newborn? Service staff in a restaurant? No, it makes you a Christian. Let me explain.
When Jesus became a human being, he humbled himself. From all eternity, he had been God, and he could have arrived on the earth demanding to be worshiped, but instead, he came to meet the needs of others. He lived the life they could not have lived, and when it came time for him to take the reward of heaven, he chose to take the suffering of hell instead. He died for you. He did not demand to be served. Instead, he earned forgiveness for you. He served.
That means your basic needs are taken care of. As a Christian, you have forgiveness for your sins, and when your sins are forgiven, you get eternal life in heaven.
When you do not have to worry about meeting your own needs, you are freed up to meet the needs of others.
People whose main job is to meet the needs of others are servants. Jesus says that you are free to think of yourself that way, even in areas of leadership. It’s a great paradox. Because of Jesus, Christians are free, subject to no one. In response to that freedom, Christians are dutiful servants of all, subject to everyone.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive me for desiring to be served. Give me opportunities to serve in your name. Amen.
