Mark 10.42–45
42 And Jesus called them to him
and said to them,
“You know that those who are considered
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones
exercise authority over them.
43 But it shall not be so among you.
But whoever would be great among you
must be your servant,
44 and whoever would be first among you
must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man came
not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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The Gospel empowers me to be a servant of everyone. I know that I have all I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1.3), that I have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1.3), I know God will take care of all my needs (Matthew 6.25-33) and that not only will He not spare anything I need, none of this can be taken from me (Romans 8.31-39). So I have nothing to lose if I choose to lay my life down for others in service to them!
Not only that, but He has told me that it is more blessed for me to give than to receive (Acts 20.35), and that I have a far greater reward awaiting for me in Heaven if I choose the low road of humble service (Luke 6.22-23). Yet as amazing as these promises are, what truly causes me to desire even more to serve others and lay my life down for them is the incredible truth that Christ Himself came to serve me and lay His life down for me.
When I remind myself of the distance Christ went to serve me, I am freed from the temptation to assert myself, my rights, or insist on my preferences or desires. When I get irritated and annoyed at inconveniences caused by others, reminding myself of the Gospel helps me to move from self-interest towards willing and even joyful sacrifice of time and service. I get the great gift of partaking in the same kind of sacrificial love and service that Christ walked in for my sake. The Gospel allows me to be a willing slave to bless others.
A Christian is a perfectly free
master of all, subject to none.
A Christian is a perfectly dutiful
servant of all, subject to all.
-Martin Luther
Lowering myself for others, allowing myself to be maligned or used, being unappreciated, or being inconvenienced at the whim of others is not an easy task for my flesh; the yoke of serving others is a heavy one. But when I consider the Gospel, that Christ willingly and lovingly came to serve and not to be served, these self-denials become easy and light (Matthew 11.28-30), and even a blessing and joy.
Read Again Out Loud and Make it into a Prayer:
Mark 10.42–45
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Great is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas Chisholm, 1923, with additional verses by John Piper
Personalize and Read or Pray Aloud:
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions,
they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter
and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence
to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
I could not love Thee, so blind and unfeeling;
Covenant promises fell not to me.
Then without warning, desire, or deserving,
I found my Treasure, my pleasure, in Thee.
I have no merit to woo or delight Thee,
I have no wisdom or pow’rs to employ;
Yet in Thy mercy,
how pleasing Thou found me,
This is Thy pleasure: that Thou art my joy.
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Pray Aloud:
Father, help ________ to keep in step
with Your Spirit today.
Help ______ to follow You
and lift up Your Name,
that ______ might carry
Your aroma through the day.
Give _______ daily bread,
so that Your promises
would keep ________ heart,
which is prone to wander,
anchored closely to You.
Lead ________ away from temptation,
but instead be brought back
to Your truth and presence.
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