Have you ever offered to help someone while quietly hoping they would realize you should have been chosen to lead?
We can have useful experience and a sincere desire to serve, yet struggle when someone else receives the responsibility. We notice what they could do differently. We explain how we would handle it. Soon, our offer of help begins to sound like an argument for putting us in charge.
Jesus speaks directly to our desire to be first. He tells His disciples that anyone who would be first must be last of all and servant of all. Mark chapter nine, verse thirty-five. He gives us His own example when He takes a towel and washes His disciples’ feet. His authority is secure, and He willingly serves.
Following Him reaches into the way we use our abilities. We can offer what we know without making another person feel small. We can listen before giving advice and respect the responsibility entrusted to them.
That may require an honest prayer. Lord, I want to be useful, but I also want to be recognized. Help me love this person and offer what they need.
Is there someone you could encourage today without reminding them how you would have done their work?
The help we offer can reveal something about the heart we bring to it. Subscribe for daily Shorts like this, and you can watch the full message on When Our Part in God’s Work Changes, linked below, to go deeper.