October 1 — Called to Serve
“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be
your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the 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.”
What does greatness look like? The world offers many
answers. Success. Influence. Recognition. Achievement. Power. But Jesus gave
His disciples a very different answer. Greatness looks like service. The
disciples had been discussing positions of honor in the kingdom of God. They
were thinking about who might be greatest. Jesus redirected their thinking. “Whoever
wants to become great among you must be your servant.” In God's kingdom,
greatness is not measured by how many people serve us. It is revealed by our
willingness to serve others.
Pause and reflect: How do I usually measure a successful
or meaningful life? Do I think primarily about what I have accomplished, or
do I also consider how faithfully I have loved and served the people God has
placed around me? Jesus did not merely command His disciples to serve. He
pointed to Himself. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve…” Think about how remarkable those words are. Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, entered our world not demanding that people attend to His needs but
continually responding to theirs. He taught those who were searching. He healed
those who were suffering. He welcomed those whom others rejected. He fed those
who were hungry. He touched those whom society avoided. He listened to people
others ignored. And shortly before His death, He knelt before His disciples and
washed their feet. The Lord became the servant. But Jesus' service went far
beyond individual acts of kindness. He continued: “…and to give His life as a
ransom for many.” The cross is the ultimate expression of servant-hearted love.
Jesus gave Himself. Christian service therefore begins not with obligation but
with gratitude. We serve because Christ first served us. We give because He
first gave Himself for us. We love because we have already been loved beyond
measure. This changes the way we think about service. Serving God does not
always require doing something dramatic. Most opportunities to serve arrive
quietly. Someone needs encouragement. Someone needs to be heard. Someone needs
help with an ordinary task. Someone needs companionship. Someone needs
patience. Someone needs forgiveness. Someone simply needs to know that another
person cares. We can easily overlook these opportunities because they seem too
small. But love is rarely small to the person receiving it.
Today, pay attention to the people God places along your
path. Instead of asking only, “What do I need to accomplish today?” add
another question: “Whom can I serve today?” Perhaps the answer will come
through a family member. A coworker. A neighbor. A friend. Someone at church. Or
a stranger whose path unexpectedly crosses yours. You might begin the day with
this simple prayer: “Lord Jesus, give me the eyes to notice someone I can
serve today.” Then remain attentive. The opportunity may not look
important. It may interrupt your plans. It may require a little time. It may
never be noticed by anyone else. That is all right. Jesus has already shown us
what greatness looks like. It kneels. It listens. It gives. It loves. It
serves. And whenever we humbly serve another person in love, we are walking in
the footsteps of the One who came not to be served, but to serve.
— Mark 10:43-45
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