True Greatness

True Greatness

[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

Mark 9:35

SLAVERY HARDENS the heart and creates anger, bitterness, and resentment. That is why wives who are forced to serve their husbands seldom truly love their husbands. It is hard to love someone who is treating you like a slave. When people serve others because they are forced to do so, they lose the freedom to serve genuinely.

Scripture calls for service that is freely given, not out of fear, but out of choice. It comes out of the personal discovery that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). This kind of service is the hallmark of true greatness. Jesus said that in his Kingdom, the greatest leader would be the greatest servant.

Serving our spouse is a way of practicing the teachings of Jesus. If service does not begin in marriage, where will it begin? Jesus said that every time we serve one of his creatures, we are serving him (see Matthew 25:40). This lifts our service to an even more noble level. Every time I vacuum floors for my wife, I am serving Jesus. Bring on the vacuum.

Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding us that when we serve each other, we are really serving you. Please help us to develop a humble attitude of service toward each other.

Service