“But Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk 10: 42-45)
Here Jesus re-defines what many people understand as “greatness” or, in modern-day terms, “success.” The measure of greatness, according to Him, is service; the extent to which one serves; gives of oneself.
So let me see any work or interactions I have today in this light; in the light of service to others, rather than self-serving. This means if I’m doing something, be it cooking a meal for loved ones, or singing in the church-choir, or giving a talk somewhere, let it be to offer of myself, rather than to impress, or somehow otherwise to “exercise lordship” over others. If I give someone a call, let the other person be heard, rather than just unload my own opinions or problems. I find this approach is quietly rewarding, anyway, while self-seeking is insatiable. As such, it only leads to dissatisfaction and frustration. God’s approach to work, as it happens, is easier than one governed by the evasive concept of self-seeking “success.”
