September 10, 2010 | Mark 10:45

Read - "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Examine - This is what I call the "theme verse" for the entire book of Mark. Here in this one verse, Jesus lays it all out. He came for this very purpose: to lay His life down as a ransom (a payment for sin) for many. 

Apply - It is amazing to me how self-serving the disciples are as they bicker and quarrel over who deserves a greater heavenly reward. And then I pause and take a look at myself. I am a people person and have a strong desire to be liked and respected. It bothers me when I find out that there are people that don't either like or respect me. It makes me want to prove to them that I'm a good guy...really! I can get so caught up in the opinions of others that the temptation comes of shifting my motivation for living the Christian life. When I think about the disciples' request for greatness, the simply were doing what I can so easily do: shift my motivation. My motivation for following Jesus is not always because I deeply love Him and desire to respond in obedience. Often my motivation is to "prove" my worthiness as a "successful" pastor or husband or father. The problem is that my motivation is seen by God and everything that I do with a selfish motive, does nothing to please Him. So then I get caught up in guilt because while people may be snowed, I know my motivations may not be pleasing to Him. That's a tiring way to live. I would much rather keep my motivation centered on loving Jesus and obeying Him out of a heart of gratitude. It's amazing how free I become from the temptation of pleasing others and making everyone happy. Serving others helps me keep this motivation in check.

Pray - Father, you sent Your Son as the ultimate model of servanthood. You love a humble heart and oppose the proud. I confess that I can be motivated by ego, pride and insecurity and these act as masks of what truly is going on in my heart. Father, You know. You see. I'm sorry for any motive that is not centered on loving You. Yet I thank You for Your mercy toward me and that today is a new start. Father, may pleasing You because I love You be my sole motivation with this day that You've given to me. May I remain fixed on Jesus and His way of living as an example for how I interact with those You place in my life today. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.