Mark 9:35

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” ~ Mark 9:35

Power is often the ruse we use to feel self-acceptance. If we are powerful, we are worthy. If we can use our power, people will respect us, listen to us, and we will have value in their eyes. Power, most often when held with this viewpoint is destructive, not only to the self, but to others. If we lose this type of power, in our opinion we are worthless, less than, and not worthy of love, or care, or respect. A person who has no sense of personal value when it is based on power is then lost, sometimes with a life-threatening action – suicide. How terribly sad that is. Counter to the world, our power actually comes from servanthood. We cannot realize this without Christ in our heart, for it is the world which teaches power is the ultimate goal based on the actions of that person. If we work hard enough, do enough, our power will increase. A great pastor I knew in my past, (he has since gone on into the heavenly realm) wrote a book entitled, “All You Have to Do is Be.” It is a book about being in the presence of the God who loves us above all others. It denies that fact that we have to work for our value, for we are already loved by God, in fact, we were loved before we were born, for he saw us in the womb and knew us. Does being a servant mean we do nothing? Maybe. If one sits with you when you are in pain and there are no words, or nothing that can be done in that situation, that is servanthood. Just sitting in the presence of one who understands is servanthood. Ultimately, the way to greatness is found in serving, however that manifests itself. Not only then do we bless others, but find we are blessed in return. Being the last in Jesus’ mind places us first in his upside right kingdom.

Pastor Julia

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