September 09, 2024
by Pastor Chuck SwindollScriptures: Mark 10:45
Nothing is more refreshing than a servant's heart and a giving spirit. This is especially true when such Christlike qualities are displayed in a person tagged as celebrity.
EVER WONDER if Jesus would have agreed to star in His own reality TV show?
Let's allow Him to answer in His own words:
The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his
life as a ransom for many.
MARK 10:45
No mumbo jumbo. Just a straight-from-the-shoulder response. Jesus came to
be a servant. Being a celebrity wasn't in His DNA.
Nothing is more refreshing than a servant's heart and a giving spirit. This
is especially true when such Christlike qualities are displayed in a person
tagged as celebrity. Years ago, my wife and I attended the National
Religious Broadcasters convention in Washington, DC. That year one of the
main speakers was Colonel James B. Irwin, a former astronaut who was part
of the Apollo 15 crew who had walked on the moon. That made him famous. He
spoke of the thrill connected with leaving this planet and seeing it shrink
in size. He mentioned watching "earthrise" one day . . . and thinking how
privileged he was to be a member of that unique team. On the flight back to
Earth, it hit him that many would consider him an international celebrity
because of what he'd experienced.
Humbled by the awesome goodness of God, Colonel Irwin shared his true
feelings, which went something like this:
As I was returning to Earth, I realized that I was a servant—not a
celebrity. So, I am here as God's servant on planet Earth to share what I
have experienced, that others might know the glory of God.
I love that! God allowed this man to break loose from the small cage of
Earth, to reveal to and instill in him the high value of becoming a
servant, not a celebrity.
Caught up in the fast-lane treadmill of the twenty-first century—making mad
dashes through airports, meeting deadlines, homeschooling high-achieving
kids, and coping with the stress of people's demands mixed with our own
high expectations—it's easy to lose sight of our primary calling as
followers of Christ. But let's not forget our goal. Instead, let's focus on
becoming servants, not celebrities.