To Be for Others

This week I’m off at the Florida-Georgia Emergent Leadership gathering. This is something that our District is piloting to try to develop leaders for the future of the Florida-Georgia District. I amhonored and humbled to be a part of it, honored because someone felt I was worthy of being invited to such a group – and humbled because this group isn’t about me, but it’s about something much bigger.

On my door under my name, it says “Cultivating Leadership for the Next Generations of the Church”. That’s something of a personal mission statement. Whenever I walk through that door and see that sign, I’m reminded of that very important mission, and I am humbled by it. It reminds me that I am not here for myself. Instead, I am here for the next generations of the Church, and that my work with the current generations of the Church is to that end. 

Jesus was very clear with His disciples: He did not come to be served, but to serve; and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10) He was not here for Himself. He was here for others. If there is one short way of explaining what humility is, it is that: “to be for others”. 

Jesus was Jesus for us, that was His humility. Now our humility flows from Him. We are to be ourselves, but to be ourselves for others. We are to rise and achieve new heights – but not for ourselves, rather, we should rise and achieve new heights for others. And as we do these things for others, God has promised to accept it as spiritual worship done for Him.

So what are you doing this week? Who are you this week? However you answer those questions, follow it up by thinking, “now how can I be this or do this for others?”