I’ve been watching this show that takes place in the late ninth century, I love period dramas like this. Today, I was watching an episode, and something caught my attention that I couldn’t shake. Grab a cup of coffee or tea as we process this together!
In the show, they were getting ready for battle and one of the main characters got up on his horse and as he, and others, started to ride the camera panned and you could see many “regular soldiers” on either side, he looked down at one of them recognizing and appreciating their sacrifice. At this moment, something quickened withing me, so many scriptures came to mind. I’ll go ahead and give you the scriptures we will talk about today so you can have them ready.
- Matthew 20:20-28
- Mark 10:35-45
- 1 Samuel 9:21
- 1 Samuel 15:17
- Luke 14:7-14
- 1 Kings 1-3
In Matthew and Mark, we see Jesus teaching that, if we want to become great, we must first be a servant. Even Jesus, with all of His credentials and being God in the flesh, “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) In 1 Samuel we see God choose the next king out of the “smallest of the tribes” and the “least of all” the families. I want to spend more time in 1 Kings and Luke 14, these really grasp what the Lord was speaking to my heart.
“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:11
In 1 Kings 1 we see that King David was old and dying. Adonijah assumed kingship and did a lot of fancy things including parties and announcements trying to name himself king. However, Solomon already had the promise of the king. Solomon could have worried, reacted out of fear and anxiety and rushed into things, but he didn’t. Solomon didn’t have to fight or fret, God had strategically placed people around him who went to King David on his behalf. While Adonijah was still celebrating his victory in vain, the true king was named, appointed, and anointed.
This all makes me think of the titles and places of honor that we like to give and receive. What are some titles that you have? For me, I was a children’s pastor for 8 years, a nurse for 10, now I’m a missionary. In the show I was watching, the people of honor were placed on horses and went out before the others. But what about us as believers? What about us as followers of Christ? The Lord will exalt us. I want to always take the place of the “regular soldier” and walk in line with everyone else, serving and following Christ. If the Lord chooses to exalt me, so be it, but it will be from Him.
We must be careful, especially those of us who have been in ministry a long time, to not expect honor and not expect recognition. How awful to have been Adonijah who celebrated his kingship only to find out another had been named. Or, how awful to be the one, like in the story Jesus told, of the man who sat in the seat of honor only to be asked to move to a lower place.
Not one of us is greater than another. Whether you serve in another country and are bringing the Gospel of Christ to people around you, or work in an office somewhere and see the same people every day, we are all servants of Jesus who have laid down our lives for Him. Maybe you hold some grand title to which you will receive the respect due to you but let us never forget that we are here to serve. I would rather walk humbly before the Lord than for Him to humble me Himself.
God is faithful. We must also be faithful to serve Him and serve the people He has placed around us.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others… Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Philippians 2:3-4, 14-15
So, returning back to my show from this morning. I want to “fall in line” with what the Lord is doing, I want to live life day to day, even if it feels mundane. I want to trust that He is faithful and is moving on my behalf just like He did for Solomon, if things don’t seem to be going like I think they should, if I’ve entrusted them into His hands, I have nothing to worry about.
Let us walk, every day, in this faith and trust in the Lord.
I love this so much, and I think that, as Christians in our normal day-to-day routine, we tend to take for granted the lives, and souls that we impact just by our words and deeds. God put us in the places that we are in just for that reason. There’s a ripple effect in the spirit realm So as we touch, touch others, kindness, generosity, go a long way.