“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.”
How do you define true greatness?
Some would say greatness is all about talent, ability, and accomplishment.
Others define greatness in terms of power, wealth, or responsibility. We see this in work, in families, and even the church.
What’s interesting is that Jesus’ disciples weren’t any different. They had the same mindset. They wanted to know who among the twelve was the “greatest.” (Luke 9:46)
Numbers determined greatness in the first century. To be a leader meant always making a big show of your influence – your number of followers. Humility of any kind was seen as a weakness in leadership.
Jesus, however, had a different standard.
“If you want to be great in My kingdom,” Jesus said, “It starts with becoming a servant” (my paraphrase). Jesus wasn’t talking about a specific vocational role but rather a mentality we all should have.
This means that no matter who we are or what we do, we are all called to serve others.
Thankfully, we have an incredible example in Jesus. No one better exemplified a servant spirit than Jesus, who humbled Himself to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus is the ultimate embodiment of true greatness in God’s eyes.
If you will follow Jesus in faith, He will lead you to true greatness.
Written by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH
DIG DEEPER
Read “Being Great” also by Bryant Wright
