Jesus teaches his disciples (and, if you haven't figured it out yet—YES, that means you and me!) to strive to be best at serving others. That didn't play well in the first century, nor does it hold a lot of appeal in the twenty-first! Nevertheless, that's what He said, and He still means it today: the body of Christ, the Church of Jesus, is supposed to be renowned for her service. Service to friends and family and neighbors, naturally. That's easy. Also, servants of those who are less eager to be served, those who look at Christians with, at best, a healthy dose of skepticism, and, at worst, with an outright sneer. There we are, back to showing partiality...but Jesus leaves no room for that, He simply tells us to strive, to struggle, to fight against our human ambitions and to be filled with His Spirit, that we may show the whole world exactly what is that servant-nature that Jesus demonstrated so well for us.
Prayer: Oh, Lord, this is a tough one. I have ambition and pride: forgive my misdirected striving for my own good and comfort and glory. Refocus my striving onto pleasing You, on being a servant to all. For Your sake, amen.
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