Is the image of success much different than the image of service?
The world has differing ideas of what makes an individual great. Most often we associate it with power, wealth and celebrity. We typically measure a person’s influence by their number of followers.
The Bible suggests a different way to greatness: the way of a servant. Greatness is found in living for others.
For most of his career Albert Einstein kept the portraits of two scientists on the wall: Newton and Maxwell. Toward the end of his life he replaced those portraits with Ghandi and Albert Schweitzer.
He said, “It is time to replace the image of success with the image of service.”
Maybe he had been inspired by Schweitzer’s words: “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
We are all on something of a self-directed journey to greatness. Let’s remember that the path is paved with service to others.
If you want to be great, learn to be the servant of all. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (Mark 10:43-44)
