ESOCS Devotional 24 November 2024 – Stop Unncessary Strive
MEMORY VERSE: “And there was also a strife among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.” Luke 22:24. KJV
TEXT: LUKE 22:24-34
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
31 [a]And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
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The quest for leadership and headship is one of man’s greatest undoing. The craving for power has driven man very crazy. Unfortunately, this menace has found its way into the church and is wrecking both the faith of congregants and the stability of the body of Christ.
While at the supper table, the Disciples listened carefully to everything Jesus said, including the two pathetic statements about what was going to befall Him. He spoke about His betrayal and the tragedy awaiting the perpetrator of the act (Luke 22:21-22).
The Disciples not only trivially inquired among themselves who it was that was going to do such a thing (Luke 22:23) but dissipated more energy in contending for who will be accounted the greatest among them. The message the disciples just passed is that the burden Jesus shared from His heart was less important to them compared to the matter of ascending the leadership position in their ministerial journey.
How many times have we trivialized the subject of evangelism and soul winning because of our contention for power? What about when we sacrifice membership growth and welfare on the altar of craving for position and appointments. Many churches pay lip service to the matter of revival and raising a generation of people on fire for God because of the conquest for who becomes the greatest among them.
Beloved, the strife is not necessary. It is unhealthy and absolutely does not worth it. Why destroy ourselves, tarnish the image of one another, raise false alarms and write all manner of frivolous petitions all in the name of who becomes the head or the greatest?
Here is Jesus’ admonition to the Disciples: “But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you; let him be as the younger and he that is chief, as he that doth serve” (Luke 22:25-27). If we understand leadership to this extent, then the strife among us will automatically come to the end.
- Leadership is not a do or die affair.
- Leadership is about service to the people and not self-enrichment.
- No leadership position is worth any contention or strife.
- Father, thank you for providing us a leadership platform. Forgive us the days of approaching it wrongly and grace us the more to see more of you, as you grant us the privilege of leadership, in Jesus name. Amen.
Further Reading: Proverbs 29:11-end; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
ESOCS Devotional 24 November 2024
