Greatness Redefined

“…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

I am continually astonished that God lifts servanthood above other, far more significant achievements. For example, I can’t imagine the President of the United States cleaning toilets in my home. It would surprise me if Elon Musk volunteered to wash my foreign car. I would be shocked if Lebron James volunteered to be my personal trainer. Why would anyone with such a prominent position and esteem do something so menial with someone so insignificant?

What do we do with God’s other characters?  He can wipe out planets with a flick of his cosmic wrist. He has created intricate human bodies and vast celestial galaxies. He can make the sun stand still (Joshua 10:12-14). His abilities far exceed a president, a billionaire, or a basketball player. Everything about him is great and mighty. And yet he cares more about my servanthood than all my accomplishments and status. It feels like an oxymoron. It redefines power and glory. It mocks my accomplishments, and it gives me a view of greatness that is upside down.

If the world says the greatest is the one who achieves the most in life, makes the most money, and has the highest leadership positions, and the least is the one who has no notoriety, then most of us are failures. Jesus flips the model upside down to reveal the true character of God. My life is built on achievements and accomplishments, and yet God doesn’t consider them significant. More important is my ability to love him and care for others.

If I have difficulty understanding his power and might, will I ever be able to understand the depth of his love? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us a taste of that love.

Mankind's greatness is measured in power, might, wealth, and knowledge. It is not measured in servanthood. God's greatness is measured through his love for me. We should learn to serve him first and bring that practice into our daily lives to serve others.