“So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,” –Mark 10:42-43 NLT
Not long ago, I had a terrible airport experience. One of those times when you personally do everything “right” and yet it turns out all wrong. We arrived at the airport two hours early, as required. The lines were very long, and it took over an hour to get near to the counter where we could check our suitcases in. Because of the long delay, just as we were about to finally check in, the airport opened a new line for our flight to expedite the procedure, and because we were first in the line, everyone behind us moved to the new line before us.
When we got to the counter, we had a trainee who slowed us further. When we went through security, my Ray was flagged because he was wearing a back brace and that final delay cost us our flight. The gate was closed. We were on our own with a little dog, and the nearest hotels would not take dogs. To say I was not a happy camper would be an understatement.
However, my response to this series of unfortunate events was dreadful. I felt sorry for myself. And I also felt affronted and offended. Did not the airport personnel see what they had done to me? Why weren’t they more concerned for our plight? I talked to the manager, who gave us a free flight the next morning, but could not help us with the hotel situation. I demanded to see her manager. I turned into an ice queen looking down on her with distaste in my eyes. My words were civil, but my attitude was not.
We found a hotel further away with the ability to shuttle us back to the airport at 4am the next morning, and it blessed us even more by giving us a room at 10am in the morning despite a 4pm check in time. Once there, I simmered down and took a long, hard look at my behavior. Would I have wanted that manager to know that I was a follower of Jesus?
Um. No.
I am not the queen. No one needs to bow to me. Yes, all the things that happened to us were sad, but were they the beleaguered manager’s fault? Absolutely not. Did she take the time to book us for free on the next available flight the following morning amidst a crowded airport where there were thousands of other demands on her time? She did. Was she polite to me, despite my disdain for her? She was. “Oh, forgive me, Lord,” I whispered. “I did not represent You well at all.”
When two of Jesus’ disciples asked to sit at His right and left hand when he came into His kingdom, His response showed His dismay at their request. They had it all backwards. “ … You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant …” He said. After all, Jesus Himself came to serve. He didn’t enter the human world with pomp and circumstance, with a retinue of servants around Him to make sure He was comfortable. He arrived as a baby in a stable. He never had a home of His own as an adult and often walked miles and then slept outdoors on the hard ground. Life was not comfortable for the Lord I claim to follow. Why should it always be comfortable for me?
What if I had, instead of disdain, treated the busy manager with kindness and grace? What if I had remembered that God is ultimately in charge of my life and my plans? What if He had a plan for me to be a witness and bright light instead of another troublesome passenger? What opportunity did I miss because of my self-centered need for importance? These are not fun questions to ask, but they are necessary.
We are called to be servants, not kings and queens. We are called to receive what God allows and seek His will for the hard situations of life. Peter says it well in 1 Peter 5:6. “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” Let’s do that in our daily encounters. Our God loves us and He lifts us up in due time. Our job is to shine for Him, in all the times – even the super annoying ones.
Father, I thank You for this lesson in servanthood. Help us all to trust You when things don’t go as planned, looking to You for the lesson to be learned or the person to be helped in the midst. Forgive me for wanting my own way. Forgive me for my unkindness to another human being who did not deserve it at all. Thank You that Your love for me does not depend upon my niceness. For if it did, I would be lost, indeed. I am so grateful for Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
