Mark 8:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
In our culture, it is a “me-first” mentality. We push and shove to be the first in line, to win the race, to be the best, to rise to the top. The result is a very self-centered society. There are different times of the year, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, where we think of others and go the extra mile to serve them— but on the whole, we take care of ourselves first. Our children are no different. Human beings are selfish creatures, to be sure, and the thought of voluntarily becoming last and serving others is not appealing.
God’s way is not the way of the world. God’s way is different. Jesus said IF we want to be first in His kingdom, then we must put ourselves last and take on a servant’s heart— to serve others and to do for them before we think about ourselves. We, as moms, need to teach this principle to our children— it will not come naturally. There are some practical ways to teach this idea in your home: allow others to go first in serving their plates for dinner, take turns being last at the dinner table, shuffle the order in which you get in the car, take turns with who will have to sit in the back and who will have the honor of the front seat. Teaching humility is never easy, but these are practical ways your child can learn to understand what Jesus is talking about in this passage of scripture.
Prayer
Father, My tendency is to look out for myself first. I do not care for this selfish side of me, but I am being honest. Create in me a love for others, so that I would choose to put them first over my own needs and wants. God, give me Your servant’s heart and attitude. Go before me today and give me opportunities where I can serve my family and friends.
