Encouragement for Your Week: July 27-Aug.2
This Week’s Verse
“The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:11-12 (ESV)
Devotion
In God’s Kingdom, status works very differently than in the world. In the world’s system—what the Bible calls the kingdom of darkness—people with high status expect others to serve them. But in God’s Kingdom, those with the highest status are the ones who serve others.
Jesus is the perfect example of this truth. Even though He had the highest status of all, He chose to humble Himself and serve people. The Bible says, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). It also tells us that Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to hold onto, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7).
Those who follow the world’s way of thinking—exalting themselves and expecting others to serve them—will eventually face consequences. God doesn’t ignore pride. Instead, the Bible says, “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6). People who demand to be served break the order God designed, and He will bring them down. When Jesus spoke today’s verses, He was talking about the scribes and Pharisees. They were proud of their religious status, but their whole system fell apart when Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70.
On the other hand, people in God’s Kingdom who have status but use it to serve others will be rewarded. God doesn’t miss the humble acts of those who choose to serve. Scripture says, “He gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). When people humble themselves and look for ways to serve others, they follow God’s design. And because of this, God will lift them up. Jesus, unlike the proud scribes and Pharisees, was exalted forever and now sits at the right hand of God’s throne (Hebrews 12:2).
Think about the position or influence you have in God’s Kingdom. Have you used it to serve others—or have you let it make you proud? Ask God to help you stay humble and use your status to serve like Jesus did.
This Week’s Challenge
Look for one specific way each day to serve someone without expecting anything in return—whether it’s helping a classmate, assisting a coworker, encouraging a friend, or doing a chore at home. At the end of the week, reflect on how these small acts of service helped you grow in humility and follow Jesus’ example.