Devotional week 45
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant... 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 NIV
Years ago, I worked as an admin and supervisor at a company that did printing and graphic design. One of the people assigned to me was a young man I was meant to oversee. I felt he wasn’t doing his job well, so I kept pointing out what was wrong. In my mind, I was helping him improve. One day, he told me he was has decided to resign.
His words stopped me. I had been so focused on the work that I had stopped seeing the person. What I called guidance had become nagging. I also had a difficult boss at the time, so I knew exactly how that felt, and it was a shock to realize I was doing the same thing to someone else.
Thankfully, I caught it in time. I slowed down, changed my approach and began to encourage him instead.
I do not think my intentions were bad. I wanted good work. But that is how it happens. Influence can slip into control without our noticing, even when we mean well.
In Mark 10, James and John asked Jesus for places of honor beside Him. When the other disciples heard, they were upset, probably because they wanted the same thing. Jesus gently called them together and reminded them how the world uses power: rulers “lord it over” people. Then He told them, “Not so with you.” For His followers, greatness is found in serving, and Jesus lived this out by giving His life for us.
Peter never forgot that lesson. Years later, he encouraged leaders to care for God’s people willingly and not to be “lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3). A good shepherd doesn’t drive the sheep from behind. He walks ahead, stays close and cares for them.
Here is the encouraging part: Jesus doesn’t leave us stuck when we get this wrong. He is patient with us, as He was with His disciples. Like me, you can notice, turn around and begin again. When people start listening to us, we get to decide whether our words wear them down or lift them up.
Challenge
Who looks to you for direction, even in small ways? Think about the last time you corrected someone. Did it help them grow, or only make them feel smaller? What could you do this week to encourage them instead?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me what true greatness looks like, and for being patient with me when I miss it. Give me kind words and a listening heart. Help me use my influence to build people up, so that those I lead find encouragement and are drawn closer to You. Amen.
A Tent International Devotional