DO YOU WANT HARDWARE OR TOOLS? Mark 10:42-45.

Remember baseball tournaments? Coaches would rally the team by inspiring them with talk of hardware: Come on, boys, let’s go get some hardware!

We love to win trophies. We love certificates, plaques, ribbons, medals, scholarships, ranks, promotions, and more.

Even the disciples wanted hardware.

“But Jesus called the disciples over and said, ‘You know that those who are rulers of the Gentiles dominate them and lord it over them. But it must not be like that among you. Whoever wishes to become GREAT among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be FIRST among you must be slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” Mark 10:42-45.

Who gets the hardware at a childrens’ baseball tournament? The players—the children. And who gets the tools—the rakes, hoses, brooms, chalk, tarps, radar guns, and cameras? The adults.

Are you looking for hardware or for tools? Do you try to achieve, or to sacrifice? What about in your job? With friends? With relatives? With family? At home?

Think about it: often the best baseball players on the field at youth tournaments are the ones who serving the children—the coaches and guys like the Five Tool crew. The greatest are in the role of the servant. (*Minister = “servant” in Latin, from “minus.” Deacon = “servant” in Greek.)

And when you serve, you are following Jesus, who tied a towel around His waist and washed the feet of his disciples—hours before His crucifixion. Under that stress, He was SERVING.

When you serve, you are Christlike. Thus, when you serve, He will bless you. It’s a simple formula: IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT, BE A SERVANT.

Serve, and you will achieve. Pick up servant TOOLS (toilet brush, dishwashing soap, mop, etc.) and God will bless you with HARDWARE also.

Read Mark 10.

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