“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45
Put Others in Position to Thrive
As we approach the end of the Major League Baseball season, take notice as the offensive strategies for some teams in the playoff hunt begin to shift. We tend to see hitters give themselves up and bunt as opposed to swinging out of their shoes. This sacrificial form of offense (rightfully known as the sacrifice bunt) moves runners into scoring position and usually leaves the hitter to get thrown out at first base. The parade of high fives awaiting the hitter in the dugout looks as though a ball was just knocked out of the ballpark.
Why is that? There’s something beautiful in sacrifice. Philippians 2:4 says: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.”
I fully believe we are absolutely at our best when we are serving. In a self-consumed culture, we must re-orient ourselves constantly to put others first. As if this wasn’t difficult enough, we are often put in positions to serve others when those same people seem to never serve us.
Ouch. Did a familiar situation just come to your mind? Jesus did this very same thing for us. He sacrificed his life for you despite your past, present and future. That’s right, Jesus knows the sins you haven’t even committed yet! You’re forgiven.
I can tell you from experience that it feels great to lay down a sacrifice bunt. The same experience tells me there is nothing more disappointing as a hitter than to fail at getting the sacrifice bunt down. That’s because the sacrifice is more about putting others in a position to thrive rather than yourself. We may not feel it right away, but we are being spiritually nourished at the same time!
Even if it’s difficult, you’ll never regret servings others sacrificially. Can we lean into God’s help when tasked with serving others today?
— Ryan Noelte
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