“Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” (Mark 9:35 NLT)
We live in a culture that rewards those who promote themselves. “Influencer” has become an actual profession that people aspire to, while celebrities of all sorts are consulted on important issues (despite the fact that being a movie actor doesn’t mean you know anything about, say, virology).
If we aren’t careful, we can allow this attitude and these values to seep into the church. When that happens, we start judging success at church by attendance, rather than by how well it makes a difference in people’s lives. We judge church leaders by how “entertaining” their message is, rather than by how true. We judge ourselves by our popularity, rather than by how well we follow Christ.
Jesus reminds us that, for Christians, being great means being a servant. Our savior died on a cross next to two criminals, so that the people who put Him there might be saved. If we claim to follow Him, we need to recognize that true greatness will not result in popularity with the world. In fact, good servants often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Our worth is not determined by how many followers we have, but by how well we follow Him.