Where Greatness Kneels Low
Some truths hit you quicker than a dragonfly landin’ on a hot skillet, and once they do, you can’t un‑hear ’em no matter how hard you try. So, come on over here, an’ git yourself situated real good in this here ol’ front porch chair ‘cause we’re gonna be examinin’ a mighty important scripture. Friend, every now an’ then Jesus drops a truth right on in our laps that’s sho’-nuff a whole lot heavier than a cast‑iron skillet plum full of red‑eye gravy and twice as humblin’. One of them there moments came when He looked His disciples square in the eye and told ’em that greatness in His Kingdom don’t ever look like struttin’ ‘round like a proud peacock on parade. No, sir. Jesus said, Whoever wants to be great must become a servant, and whoever wants to be first must become a slave.” An’ then He went an’ added the part that’ll stop you mid‑stride. He said He Himself “came to serve, not be served, and to give His life in exchange for the many who were held hostage.” That there’s Matthew 20:26–28, an’ that there’s leadership defined by the One who rightly invented it.
Jesus didn’t just preach servanthood. He flat out lived it like it was stitched into His robe. He didn’t come lookin’ for applause, titles, or folks fannin’ Him like He was the guest of honor at dinner on the grounds. He came to kneel. To wash feet. To lift burdens. To love people who didn’t always love Him back. That’s the kind of leadership Heaven recognizes, the kind that done smells more like some o’ them there fig preserves simmerin’ on the stove than anything real fancy or showy.
But let’s be honest here, friend. These here days, we’ve got leaders who’re wantin’ folks to be sacrificin’ for them. They’re wantin’ the spotlight, the perks, the praise, and the best seat at the table, but they ain’t wantin’ to be puttin’ the towel over their arm or the basin in their hand. An’ when leaders stop servin’ others, confusion sho’-nuff starts to growin’ like some o’ that there wild unruly Kudzu ivy that takes grows on a fence line nobody’s tended in a while.
So, ask yourself this. With the way you’re leadin’ right now, could anybody watch your life and say, “Now there goes a servant who ain’t afraid to me makin’ sacrifices for others.” If folks can’t tell whether you’re a leader or not, then, friend, it’s time to be lettin’ Jesus git to reshapin’ that there part of your heart. Be the kind of leader people want to follow. Be the kind of leader who looks like Jesus. Be the kind of leader who leaves the fragrance of love everywhere you go, like the smell of fresh-baked biscuits driftin’ out of a country kitchen.
Lord, thank You for Your Word that shows me how to lead and how to love. Help me walk in this wisdom and manifest everything You’ve placed in me as a leader. Teach me to serve like Jesus, to sacrifice with joy, and to lead with humility. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, my stars, friend, I reckon we’ve just wrangled this here truth like a stubborn lil’ ol’ calf that didn’t want to be herded, and it’s worth lettin’ it settle real deep in your bones. If God’s already gone and placed you in any kind of leadership role, big or small, you’ve gotta remember that leadership ain’t ‘bout bein’ noticed. It’s ‘bout bein’ faithful when nobody’s clappin’. It ain’t ‘bout bein’ served. It’s ’bout servin’ with a heart plum tender enough to feel and strong enough to carry whatever burdens the folks around you are strugglin’ under. It ain’t ‘bout demandin’ loyalty. It’s ‘bout earnin’ trust through humility, one quiet act of love at a time. An’ it sho’-nuff’ ain’t ‘bout climbin’ ladders. It’s ‘bout bendin’ low enough to lift somebody else up, even if it means gettin’ dirt on your knees and gravy stains on your shirt ‘cause you were too busy helpin’ to worry about stayin’ tidy. An’ here’s the truth that’ll stick real tight to your soul like warm, buttered biscuits: the kind o’ leader God calls you to be is the kind whose life sho’-nuff’ whispers Jesus long ‘a-fore your words ever do so that you can be walkin’ it out with a steady heart, a spirit willin’, and a love so real that folks can’t help but see the Savior in the way you serve.
With joy,
Gwen
