First in Line

Read Mark 9:35 (NKJV):

And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Have you ever gone to an amusement park hoping to hop on your favorite ride, only to find a long line of people waiting? Now imagine you’ve spotted some friends already in line. Would you try to cut ahead of others to shorten your wait?

Once, Jesus’ disciples argued over which disciple would be the greatest. Jesus responded to them by saying, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all. He will be the one to care for all” (Mark 9:35 nlv).

According to Jesus, you don’t become great by wanting to be first. You achieve it by your willingness to be last. You don’t try to get others to serve you. You serve them! Now that’s topsy-turvy, isn’t it?

Think about it. Whether in line at a park or at school, it’s fun to be first, but doesn’t feel so good when someone pushes in front of you. If you cut in line, how do you think that makes others look at you? What if you tried to talk to them about how much Jesus loves them after you cut in line? Something tells me they might not want to hear it!

Topsy Turvy Tip: Let’s treat others with kindness and respect. Ask God to help you put someone else first today. It may not always be easy or the fun thing to do, but it’s the best thing to do.

Life without Christ is Topsy Turvy!™

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