Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
There’s a common thought among young people as they come into new responsibilities. Whether it’s home chores or a first job it’s easy to look at the work they’re required to do, what they’d rather be doing (nothing), and see it from a very limited perspective. They look at the one who assigned the tasks and naively think that they’ve just dumped on them the things they didn’t want to do.
We’ve probably all spoken the words, or something to the effect of, “When I’m the [parent/boss] I can’t wait to make my [kid/underlings] do all the work, and then I’m just going to sit around and enjoy life.”
We tip our hand at our cluelessness when we think this way. First, we don’t understand the responsibilities that the boss or parent has. We are clueless to the weight of the stress, the decisions, and the ever-increasing list of things that have to be done. We don’t realize that the parent or boss more than likely looks at us and thinks, “oh, to go back in time, and have such little responsibilities!”
We are clueless to the purpose we’ve been given. What we are required to do may seem mundane and pointless but it is an ingredient of a larger recipe that we may not even be aware of. Whether it’s making the bed, sweeping the floor, moving boxes around, or filling out the TPS reports we are bringing about change. Our work helps advance the organization, and it helps us to develop character, maturity, and responsibility.
Work is a blessing. The job we are given by a parent or boss, or even God, is an invitation to be a part of something – a family or an organization, or a Kingdom! As a parent, there were so many times that the chores I assigned to my kids I could have accomplished quicker myself but involving them helped them build character and a work ethic. It helped them become better people and helped share the load as we worked together as a family.
There is work to be done in God’s Kingdom, and we are invited into the process. Trust me, God could do it quicker and better, (and He’s already done the hard stuff) but He lets us be a part of what He’s up to. It builds us and grows us and it makes an eternal difference.
- What does this verse reveal about who Christ is?
- What does it mean “to give his life as a ransom for many?”
- How does this verse challenge the entitlement culture today?
- Where is God leading you to serve in our community and the world?
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
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Today's reading - Mark 10:45 - "There is work to be done in God's Kingdom, and we are invited into the process. Trust me, God could do it quicker and better, but He lets us be a part of what He's up to. It builds us and grows us and it makes an eternal difference."