26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
Jesus instructs his disciples about the kind of lives they are to lead, especially the kind of leaders they are to become. His way is very different than the world’s way of leadership. For Jesus, leadership is about service. The hard question is, “How much are we serving others?” Yes, I know you have infants at home, but are you serving others through you prayers? How much were you serving before the children came? Do you miss that serving? There may be temporary lulls in our service of others, but not permanent breaks. Even a wheelchair bound person can serve others. Perhaps we can’t run marathons for missions, but there are ways we can serve. Service is about dying to our own wishes and desires and putting someone else’s priorities above our own. If we are not serving, we are probably indulging our selfish nature. Serving others can help break that cycle of self-indulgence. Often “community service” is part of the sentence that those convicted in court receive. Most crimes are selfish in nature. Service pushes us beyond our own needs. It gives us the opportunity to lift our eyes and see a world filled with needs greater than our needs. Service can get us off our “pity pot.” Now, remember that I said that there may be temporary lulls in our service. Service is good for us. It helps give us perspective. How are you serving others?
The Arnold Journey 