The Greatest Among You Must Serve

You have just been promoted to a supervisory role at work. Your colleagues now report to you, and the temptation is immediate: to assert your authority, to sit apart at lunch, to remind everyone of your new rank. But as you drive home, the Holy Spirit whispers a question that unsettles your joy: Are you seeking to be served, or to serve?

Christ’s words in Matthew 23 shatter the world’s hierarchy. In every culture—ours included—we measure greatness by power, position, and prestige. We climb ladders. We demand respect. We expect subordinates to jump at our command. But Jesus inverts this entire system. He says that the greatest person is not the one with the largest office or the loudest voice, but the one with the lowest heart.

When our Lord washed His disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, He performed the work of a slave. Peter protested—”Lord, dost thou wash my feet?”—because he understood that this was beneath the dignity of a rabbi, a teacher, a master. Yet Jesus replied, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet: for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). The King of heaven became a servant. He set the pattern.

Notice the second part of Jesus’s warning: “whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” This is not merely advice—it is divine law. The man who climbs by pride will fall by shame. The woman who grasps for honour will find it slip through her fingers. But the one who bends low in genuine humility discovers that God Himself lifts her up. As it is written, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).

In Nigeria’s workplaces, markets, homes, and churches, this principle cuts against the grain. We are taught to fight for recognition, to protect our interests, to show strength. Yet Christ calls us to radical service. This does not mean weakness or allowing yourself to be exploited. Rather, it means using whatever authority God gives you—whether in the office, the home, or the community—not to dominate but to lift others up, to protect the vulnerable, to make decisions that serve the common good rather than your comfort.

Your promotion, if it is truly from God, is not a trophy to display but a trust to steward. Every decision you make, every interaction with those under your care, is an opportunity to reflect Christ’s servant heart. When you lead this way, you earn not mere respect but genuine loyalty and love.

Challenge yourself this week: in your position of authority, identify one act of humble service you can perform—whether it is arriving early to help a struggling colleague, listening without judgment, or defending someone who cannot defend themselves.

Lord, grant me the humility of Christ, that I might lead by serving, and serve by loving.