Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant.” Luke 1:38a
What traits do you look for in a leader? Maybe you look for someone who is well-spoken, strong, kind, and full of integrity. While these essential characteristics are at the forefront of our minds when we think of the characteristics we want to see in a leader, one characteristic that may not first come to our mind but is just as important is humility. Humble people understand that life is not all about them and serve accordingly. One of the humblest people we can read about in Scripture, whom God chose, was Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Luke 1 records when the angel visited Mary and revealed that she would give birth to Jesus. Mary was engaged to marry a man named Joseph when Gabriel the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” (verses 26-28). Of course, Mary was very confused by this greeting, so Gabriel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary…for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High…And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!” (verses 29-33). This was life-changing news for Mary. From that moment on, everything would be different for her. How did she respond? She could have said, "Wow, I am a really amazing person to be chosen for this position!" She could have also said, "My life is too good right now, and I have my own plans, so I cannot take on this responsibility." Instead, she responded by saying, "I am the Lord's servant" (verse 38). Mary had a humble view of herself and her position. Her role was to serve God, and she was willing to take on this remarkable role in His plan.
Still today, we are to live humbly, with the mindset of a servant. We live to serve God and others, not ourselves. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 20:26-28, "Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” If our Savior lived with this kind of humility and served those around Him, we, too, must carry the humble mindset of a servant, ready to do whatever God calls us to do, no matter the cost.
Take a few moments to pray now. Ask God to give you a spirit of humility and to help you let go of pride. Ask Him to reveal any areas of your life where pride has crept in, and turn away from that pride when He reveals it to you. May each one of us commit to being humble people, understanding that our role in life is to honor God and point others around us to Christ.
Matthew 20:20-28
20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.
She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
©2025 Sagebrush Church
