Is It All About You?

If corgis could read, I'd have Emma read Mark 10: 32-45 because she always thinks somebody should be serving her night and day!

I lead a weekly Bible study at a local coffee shop on Wednesdays, and this week we were looking at Mark 10: 32-45.  This morning, we had a really remarkable conversation about our tendency to put ourselves first. 

In these verses, we find Jesus walking with his disciples toward Jerusalem, and two of his closest friends, James and John, come to him with what might be the boldest request in history. They say, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Then they drop the bomb, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 

Can you imagine that? These guys wanted the VIP seats in Jesus' kingdom! They wanted to be his right-hand men, the ones with the most power and prestige. It's like walking up to your boss and saying, "Hey, when you get that promotion, can we be your vice presidents?" 

But here's the truth of it—these weren't bad guys! James and John had left everything to follow Jesus. They'd seen his miracles, heard his teachings, and witnessed his love. Yet even they couldn't escape that natural human tendency to think, "What's in it for me?"

Sound familiar?

Jesus doesn't shame them. Instead, he uses this as a teaching moment that turns everything upside down. He says, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." 

This was revolutionary thinking. In their world, and in ours too, greatness means having power over others. It means being served, not serving. It means climbing the ladder and looking down on everyone below you. But Jesus says the kingdom of God works completely differently. True greatness isn't about how many people serve you, but about how many people you serve. 

Then Jesus delivers the knockout punch: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The God of the universe came not to be waited on hand and foot, but to wash feet and die on a cross. If that doesn't challenge our "me first" mentality, nothing will.

So here's an uncomfortable question—the same one I asked the participants in the Bible study this morning to consider this week.  Where does your "me first" attitude show up? Maybe it's at home?  Do you expect your family to revolve around your schedule, your preferences, and your needs?

 Is it at work.  Are you more concerned about getting credit than getting the job done well?

What about in your relationships? Do you find yourself keeping score? 

Do you dominate conversations?  Are you really listening, or just waiting for your turn to talk? 

 

If you look in the mirror very carefully, I think we will all find areas where we can be selfish.  Where we put our needs over the needs of others.  Sometimes our pride is obvious, like when we get angry at not being recognized or appreciated. But more often, it's subtle. It's the slight irritation when someone else gets praised. It's the way we position ourselves to look good in front of others. It's the difficulty we have admitting when we're wrong.  The truth is, we all struggle with this. The question isn't whether we have pride – it's whether we're willing to acknowledge it and do something about it.

Here's the beautiful thing about Jesus' teaching: it's not just about pointing out our problem, it's about showing us a better way to live. When we stop making everything about us, we discover something amazing—our life becomes richer, relationships become deeper, and we find a joy that self-centeredness never delivers. 

So here’s the challenge.

Look for one opportunity to serve rather than be served. Maybe it's letting someone go ahead of you in line. Maybe it's doing a chore without being asked. Maybe it's really listening to a friend who needs to talk, without trying to fix them or relate it back to your own experience.  It doesn't have to be huge. In fact, it's often the small acts of putting others first that begin to reshape our hearts. Because here's what Jesus knew: when we stop making it all about us, we discover what life is really about.  It is about love, service, and the incredible freedom that comes from living beyond ourselves. 

The next time that "me first" voice speaks up, ask yourself: "How can I serve instead of being served today?"

~Pastor Todd