Read Mark 9:33-37
To Be Seen As Great, One Must Have The Ability To Make Others Feel Great.
As Jesus and his disciples were traveling, they stopped in Capernaum. While they were in a house, Jesus asked his disciples what they had been arguing about when traveling on the road? They felt a little ashamed and remained quiet because they were arguing about who was the greatest. So Jesus used this opportunity as a teaching moment.
Jesus said to them, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Lol, who even talks like that? Our culture today would laugh at such a statement. “If I want to be first, I have to be last. I have to learn servant hood.”
What does this statement even look like? Not that I do really well at this, but when I’m done interacting with someone and walk away, my goal is that they feel like the best person ever. I don’t want the conversation to be all about me and my successes or all my problems. I want to hear what they have to say and encourage them with any problems they have or compliment them in their successes, or meet a need they might have. I want them to feel like the best person ever. I want them to feel valuable and significant because Jesus created them valuable and significant, and with purpose.
I like Jesus’s object lesson when he took a child in his arms and said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me … and my father God.” A child in their culture was considered as one with many needs and who is powerless. So to welcome one of these children met humbling oneself in order to invest into their lives. You’d have to be loving and caring of them. In essence, you’d be serving them to ensure they were being taken good care of. If we could take that same mentality and invest into the lives of those around us, loving them and meeting their needs and serving them, then think how many lives would be impacted for the kingdom of God. We make others feel great while we operate as a servant. And we are seen as great because we understand the value of being a servant in order to make others feel great.
Lord, give us the heart of a servant!
