Bible Verse: “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
Scripture Reading: John 13:12-17; Philippians 2:5-8
I remember serving on a provincial leadership team for youth ministry early in my ministry career. I pitched the idea that instead of doing a leadership conference, we should do a serving conference instead. As a team, we recognized that in the modern Church, too much focus is put on leadership, rather than serving.
We decided to make the pivot, but a few months later, we had to cancel the servant-based event due to low registration.
As men, we are often encouraged to lead, strive for greatness, and be highly successful in whatever we do. Yet, amidst the roar of ambition and achievement, there lies a profound and beautiful example set by Jesus Christ—one of servanthood and humility.
This reminds us that serving with humility is the key ingredient to any significant leadership in the Kingdom of God.
It’s a different paradigm, for sure, maybe one you are not used to. But if Jesus is the model, we should probably pay attention to it, especially if we desire to be men of influence like Him.
Jesus never saw servanthood and humility as weakness but rather as strength, grounded in love and selflessness. He was rightfully divine and could have demanded recognition and worship but didn’t. He knew what we all sometimes forget, with our pride and ego in play:
You can’t do those things and still put others first.
This kind of sacrificial living requires a significant perspective change, consistent accountability, and prayer. If you’re looking for help following His footsteps, perhaps re-reading the Gospels will remind you how Jesus served others and walked humbly. Sharing your desire to live this way with someone who can check in with you and keep you in prayer will provide further support to Jesus’ way of living.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, it can be so easy to want to influence the way the world does. Help me fight that temptation this week. Help me to find ways to serve and be humble. Help me to put others first. Forgive me for when my pride and ego want to take a different path. Remind me that true influence comes through serving and humility. Amen.
Reflection: Who are some men you know that have a servant heart and walk in humility? What are some of the things they do? What have they learned over the years to help them in these areas? How might you imitate their actions today?
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