"But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Mark 9:34,35
In May of this year, Eliud Kipchoge ran 26.2 miles in 2:00:25 as part of the Nike Breaking2 Project (a program designed to break the 2-hour marathon). And while it may have been the fastest marathon ever run, his time was not recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) as a world record because he utilized a team of alternating pacemakers. So, in a bid to be officially considered the greatest marathoner of all time, Kipchoge will be running to win in on September 24 saying, "I want to run a world record. That's why I'm going after it in Berlin."
And while the title of being the greatest runner in the world will be bestowed only to the fastest to cross the finish line, the Bible is clear that being great has nothing at all to do with being first. In fact, when Jesus heard the disciples arguing about who was the greatest, he sat them down and said, "Whoever wants to be first must take last place." You see, our greatness, or success as followers of Christ, is not measured by the world's standards but by God's. And He calls us to be humble and meek, not looking to serve ourselves but to be a "servant of everyone else."
Oswald Chambers sums it up this way, "The real test of a saint is not one's willingness to preach the gospel, but one's willingness to do something like washing the disciples' feet - that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God."
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son who served as the perfect example of what it means to be the greatest. May we strive to be like him, always considering ourselves as lowly, that we might remain humble and willing to serve others as you have called us to. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
To be like You - Hillsong
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