“The greatest among you must be a servant.” (Matthew 23:11, NLT)
When my wife started to play golf, I would rake her sand traps, fix her divots, and pick up her golf clubs on the green. As she got better and more comfortable with the game, I grew lax and stop raking the sand traps for her. I did not fix her divots and I did not pick up her clubs on the green anymore. Then I was reminded recently that Jesus called me to be a servant. In fact, he called us all to be servants!
Sharing Christ can mean living as he lived—and as he called us to live.I was taught this best by Wally Armstrong a few years ago. Wally, who was approaching 70 years old, would rake the trap for one of the golfers in our foursome, then he would repair a divot for anyone in our foursome! Not only did the players appreciate it, but every superintendent would love us to do these things to take care of the golf course. In these little acts, Wally showed me how to be a servant to golfers and the course’s caretakers. I believe this is what Jesus would do if he were in our foursome.
Jesus’ short statement in Matthew 23 keeps it simple. The Lord was telling his disciples that the greatest people are servants. This doesn’t mean they are bartenders and caddies and locker room attendants by trade (although these people sure know how to serve!). It means that whoever you are—and whoever you think you are—you are to be serving others. Jesus said of himself that he came into the world not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:8).
In our Links Fellowships, we often note how easy it is to call yourself a Christian. The real question is, are you following Jesus? Serving others is a great sign that you are an eager disciple!
Like many of you, I appreciate the things my pastor shares. I have heard him say two powerful things to our congregation:
“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve. Every believer is a minister with a ministry.”
What a great way to remember our special callings, even as “ordinary believers.”
The Links Players acrostic ends with an S, which signifies:
Sharing Christ with others through the great game of golf
Most of the time we think of “sharing Christ” as telling his story, preaching the gospel. This is true, and it is an important part of doing the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). But sharing Christ can also mean living as he lived—and as he called us to live. Serving others shows others who Jesus is and can build a bridge of acceptance to the words you have to say.
—
Dereck Wong
July 17, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.