But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

Servitude Begins With A Mop

Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s Hamburgers, describes his philosophy for humble service. “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. I even have a photograph of me in my M.B.A. graduation outfit: a snazzy knee-length work apron. I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate annual report shows him wielding a mop and a plastic bucket. That wasn’t a gag; it was a case of leading by example. At Wendy’s, an M.B.A. does not mean a Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude. It’s how we define satisfying the customer through cleanliness, quality food, friendly service, and atmosphere.”

Jesus taught His disciples that to be great in the kingdom of God, one must become a servant. The world prides itself on being in control and having power. Success is measured by how great a person can become without regard for others. The name of the game is to grab the gold ring at any cost. Dave Thomas understood that the principle of succeeding is found in humility. The work ethic is best defined by leading by example. Jesus became the ultimate example of showing how to be great in servitude.

The disciples of Jesus argued about who was to be great in the kingdom. Jesus took a little child and placed the young boy in the midst of the disciples, telling them that greatness was found in the humble heart of a child. Arrogance and pride can elevate someone to great heights in the corporate world, but they can become empty victories without servitude. Children do not possess a prideful heart. They can play with other children with a pure heart. Sadly, pride is learned early when taught by parents to excel at any cost.

Humility is the spirit of serving. Anyone who wants to follow Jesus Christ must be like the Savior. What greater example of humility can be given than considering the Son of God leaving His place with the Divine and becoming a man? Jesus was God, yet He took on the physical form of His creation to save the world from sin. The Son of God suffered all the humiliations of the flesh to the point of death on the cross because He humbled Himself to serve humanity. To be like Christ, the follower must have the spirit of humility.

A Christian is a person possessed of a humble heart. They consider all the wonderful blessings of a graceful God who has blessed them with all spiritual blessings in Christ. The joy of forgiveness moves the heart to see how great the sacrifice of Jesus was to save them. A child of God can be nothing more than a servant to others to show them the love of God. To be great, learn how to humble yourself before the love of God.