Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “True Greatness”
Our Bible verse for today: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “True Greatness shows itself in acts of service.”
I have always like President George H.W. Bush. He has always impressed me as a kind and humble man who genuinely cares about people and who has sincerely strived to do his best for our nation.
He was born into a family that had great wealth and political influence. He was sent to all the best schools and was prepared by his family to assume positions of leadership within the family business. The path laid out for him was one of affluence and comfort in the highest reaches of society and business. But George would have none of it. He refused to live his life trading on his family name and on the success of others.
Instead, at the age of 18 he volunteered for military service during World War II and became a pilot at a very young age, eventually getting shot down and having to parachute to safety. After that he launched business ventures of his own and had significant success. But soon he became dissatisfied with that life too and decided that true fulfillment would be found only in the service to others. Therefore he established a career in public service, serving first as a Congressman, then in various levels of appointed government positions, and then finally as Vice-President of the United States and then as President.
Mr. Bush was a committed Christian who felt strongly about Jesus’ example of true greatness, which is found in service to others. George didn’t go into politics seeking money, fame, or power. He already had all of those things available to him if he wanted them, and in a much kinder environment than politics. He went into public service because he believed that investing his life in the service of others was the highest and noblest thing he could do.
That’s exactly the point Jesus was making. His disciples, James and John, wanted to be seen as great in the eyes of others. So they sent their Mommy to talk to Jesus about appointing them to important high profile positions. Jesus essentially said, “You want to be seen as great? No problem. Commit your lives to serving others and you will be seen as “great” in the eyes of God.”
The same goes for us. As far as God is concerned, true greatness comes from a commitment to serve others in the name of Jesus. “The greatest among you, will be the servant of all.”
In what ways and how often do you serve others? According to Jesus, your willingness to serve others, and the frequency with which you do it, is a measure of your stature in the kingdom of God.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 