The greatest among you

will be your servant.

Matthew 23:11

When I was young, my mama never hit me out of frustration or anger. Instead, she had these little sayings she’d say to warn me that a butt whooping was imminent. One of those sayings was “I can show you better than I can tell you.” I knew then I was in for it and better peel back a tad before she dusted me off.

The message: Be a SHOW YOU and NOT a TELL YOU. Too many in the body of Christ want a respect that they have not earned as servants of God and His people. We think that having “this many degrees” or “that many years in the kingdom” or “those titles” should make people stop and genuflect.

Nah fam. Jesus said that those who serve would be the 1st among you. So serve.

Example: In 2018, my husband opened a church. I COULD have gone in there being and doing the most—because I HAVE credentials of many kind. And the way church culture is set up? I could have just went in on the “I’m First Lady do what I say” vibe.

Instead, I heeded the word of the Lord.

God said, “Sit back and serve.” So I did. I did it all. Cooked. Cleaned. Kept kids. Broke down equipment. Set up service. Sang alto. Played a couple times. Gave up my household money and stuff I wanted to do to give into the Kingdom and it’s people. Put my plans on hold. 9-10 months nonstop. Then a God said, “Okay. NOW you can talk.” And people listened because I SHOWED them who I was and what I was about in Christ: serving.

I don’t have to tell you, I can show you better.

So let me challenge you too. be a SHOW, not a TELL. Start your year off serving. God rewards those who have a servant’s heart in ways the world cannot and WILL NOT. This is the core of righteousness. If you serve, you are doing what is RIGHT in God’s eyesight. And God never allows the righteous to be forsaken.

The Word.

Moses lost his chance for the promised land because he hit the rock and yelled at folks instead of DOING what God commanded (Numbers 20).

Jesus asked Peter to “feed My sheep” three times (John 21).

Jesus mostly went about doing good and healing people (Acts 10:38).

We are called to serve others and not the flesh (Galatians 5:13).