I was talking to a friend about my concerns at work, and mentioned one of the many housekeepers in particular. “She’s just a janitor though, so it doesn’t really matter,” he said. I took a gulp.
In today’s world, we consider those who are wealthy or are great contributors to society as “great” people. Working in housekeeping is deemed to be menial work, much like other minimum-wage jobs. To many people in the world, someone who holds a “lowly” job is not worth befriending or being treated as special. But, fortunately for us all, God sees things differently.
Jesus sat down with his disciples and explained what makes a person great can be the opposite of what many unbelievers think. Those who were deemed great in society back then held positions of prominence and influence, much like today. In God’s opinion, those who place themselves in situations of servanthood or of lower status can be considered greater than those who make wealthy salaries or are famous because of their humility.
Those of us who don’t have jobs deemed lowly by society still have the ability to be “great” through serving others at every level. We can treat those in lower positions with kindness and respect. No matter what our job title is, we can choose to perform the “lowly” tasks nobody wants to do with a cheerful attitude. How great would that be?
Dear Lord, please help me to get rid of the world’s mindset that separates society based upon outward criteria like wealth and position. Let me focus on service to all, as you teach, by finding my identity and worth in you. Amen.
Go Deeper — Reflect on your position at work. Are you serving with a good attitude? What’s your attitude towards those around you? What can you do to be more like Christ?
Read Further — This article explains our true identity and purpose as believers.
Photo Credit: Hakan Hu