Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, 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 ‭10:42-45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. — Author unknown

One hallmark of American life is the striving after acclaim and wealth, we tend to venerate those of high achievement. Life is far less complicated when our religious tenants are popular with the social trends of the moment.

What happens when they are diametrically opposed?

Jesus says multiples times in the Sermon On The Mount, “You have heard it said, but I tell you.”

The Christian walk would be an easier one if we could just go along to get along, except that Jesus couldn’t have been more clear concerning the pitfalls of pursuing a life of notoriety over that of humility. We are to humble ourselves and become a servant to all, then we will be considered great in the Kingdom.

The litmus test of our heart’s true condition before The Lord is to ask ourselves, “Is there someone I wouldn’t serve?”

This is a benchmark that will lay bare our deepest motives.

Do we value the souls of all of God’s children or will we sacrifice others on the altar of success to gain prestige.

Lee Sandlin in Director of Sugartree Ministries.

This weekly column is provided to the News Journal on a monthly rotation basis by members of the Wilmington Area Ministerial Association.