Scripture
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Observation
Jesus and His close disciples go to a secret place so that He can spend some time teaching the,. They come to Capernaum, and He asks them what they were arguing about along the way. They do not want to admit that they were arguing about who was the greatest.
Jesus tells them that anyone who wants to be first must be last, the servant of all. He then takes a child and says that whoever welcomes a child in His name welcomes Him.
Application
The world often equates leadership with power- whether military, political, financial or positional power. Whoever can get to the top gets to write the rules and exercise power for their own ends.
In God’s kingdom, the power equation is reversed. We lead by serving, go higher by becoming lower, exercise authority by being the least.
This doesn’t make sense in the world, which is used to selfish leadership.
In a community in which the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another, the world’s rules must be reversed.
The world says, “Look after Number 1.” But God says, “Serve everyone else and trust me to provide what you need,”
Leadership comes when we serve others. Influence comes in helping people. It is not something we seek, for what we seek is to serve. In serving the opportunity may come to lead.
I used to joke that I spent three years at theological college to learn how to vacuum and wash dishes. The qualification for being a pastor, or any other christian leader, is not a college degree but a heart that serves in whatever way is necessary.
Prayer
Lord please help me to seek nothing more than to use my abilities to serve you and your people. Amen
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