This week’s devotions are based on Week 5 of Building Together: “Behind Closed Doors!” (WATCH HERE)
Mark 10:42–45 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 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.”
We live in a world that often measures leadership by position, power, and influence. The person at the top gives the orders, and everyone else follows. The person with the most authority gets the final word. The person with the most power is the person who gets his or her way.
Jesus turns that thinking upside down.
When His disciples argued about who was the greatest, Jesus told them that the rulers of the Gentiles “lord it over” others. Then He said, “It shall not be so among you.” Greatness in the kingdom of God looks different. Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
Then He pointed to Himself.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
That is the kind of love that Christ brings into the Christian home.
For husbands, this is especially important. God gives a husband a unique responsibility to love his wife, care for her, and lead his family. But biblical leadership is not permission to demand his own way. It is a calling to give himself away.
Jesus had every right to glory, yet He humbled Himself. He had every right to be served, yet He became a servant. He had every right to avoid suffering, yet He went to the cross for sinners.
That is the model for Christian love.
A husband who follows Christ asks, “How can I serve my wife?” rather than, “Why isn’t she doing more for me?” He asks, “What does she need?” rather than, “What do I deserve?” He learns that his strength is not given to him so that he can control others but so that he can protect, provide, serve, encourage, and love.
But this isn’t only a message for husbands.
Philippians 2 says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” That applies to all of us. Wives, husbands, parents, children, grandparents, friends, and fellow Christians are all called to live with the mind of Christ.
That means giving up the need to win every argument. It means listening when you would rather speak. It means serving when nobody notices. It means forgiving when you would rather hold onto the offense. It means choosing the good of another person even when it costs you something.
And none of this begins with trying harder.
It begins by looking at Jesus.
We cannot manufacture Christlike love by sheer determination. We need the One who loved us first. Jesus did not wait until we deserved His love. He loved us while we were sinners. He did not give a little of Himself for us. He gave everything.
That is the Gospel that changes our homes.
When we know that Christ has already given Himself for us, we don’t have to fight constantly to get what we think we deserve. We are free to give. Free to serve. Free to forgive. Free to love.
A Christian home becomes stronger when everyone stops asking, “What do I get?” and begins asking, “How can I love?”
That is what it looks like when Christ’s love becomes the heart of the home.
Reflect: Where are you tempted to insist on getting your own way instead of seeking the good of someone else? What is one specific way you can serve someone in your home today without expecting anything in return?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You came not to be served but to serve and to give Your life for us. Forgive me for the many times I put myself first and insist on having things my way. Give me the mind of Christ. Teach me to serve rather than demand, to listen rather than insist, to forgive rather than keep score, and to love rather than seek my own advantage. Thank You for giving Yourself completely for me. Help me live today in the freedom of Your grace. Amen.