Matt 20: 25 – 27

But Jesus called them and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise
dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall
not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant

Phil 2:5-7
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. 6He had equal status with
God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that
status no matter what. 7 Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of
deity and took on the status of a slave

How often have you prayed, Lord make me more like Jesus, or sang I want to be more
like you? Many times a week, if you’re like most of us. Often, the Lords reply is OK –
“be a servant of those you encounter today.” But Lord we say!?! – I’m a KINGS KID,
what’s this servant thing?

You see, for all of us, raised in our present age, becoming a servant of others and letting
go of our privileges and status is not a common or popular message. YOU DESERVE IT
– the advertisements scream, HAVE IT YOUR WAY!, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING
FOR???!!!

But have you thought about the fact that, counter to much of what we hear, yielding your
rights is exactly that which will make you more like Jesus.

If you could make a list of your rights today – what would be on it? Living in a big
house, an interesting job, new car every few years. How about, spending money, peace
and quiet, no waiting in line, children that never talked back or questioned your
discipline?? Wow, this list could get long. Have you ever asked yourself what impact
surrendering some of your “rights” would have on your day? You see the more we live
with our own entitlements, the less we are aware of the hurts of those around us. And if
we want to be more like Jesus, we need to realize that Jesus lived this way. He became a
servant, He chose to allow Himself – God of the Universe – to minister to those that
crossed His path in such random places as the road to someplace else. He did not say –
stop wasting my time Woman, to she who had the issue of blood. Rather, He stopped and
took the time to minister in that moment. Healing Came.

Think About It:

Maybe that’s really what being like Jesus is today for each of us. Surrendering our right
to have it “Our Way” whether it’s in line, on the road talking to a friend or our in the
moments with our family when all we really want is some peace and quiet. Surrendering
our rights so that those around us or whose lives we cross are touched by Him whose
servants we are.