Hi, Andree here again! Being in a household of six, with lots of work to do, I recently found myself in the throes of self-pity. All I ever seem to be doing, I thought, is cleaning up, cooking, tidying, rushing about, laundry, etc etc. In short, I was feeling a bit like a slave. So imagine how I felt when I read the following . . .

'"You want to be great?" Jesus is saying. "Well, here's what has to happen. What's required is that you become a servant to others; it means nothing less than becoming a slave of everyone."' (Humility, True Greatness, C.J. Mahaney).

This quote was made in connection with a request by James and John to Jesus that they be allowed to sit on either side of Him in glory. (Mark 10:35-45)

Does this mean, then, that I need to literally become a slave to my family while they (particularly the children) sit and do nothing? 'Surely not!' I thought. Then I remembered. We are told to 'train a child up in the way that he should go . . .' (Proverbs 22:6). This must mean to train them in humility and servanthood, too! So in reality I should not end up having to do 'everything!' When everyone is serving, there is less work for one person to do.

I thank God for this fresh encouragement, both to apply this to myself and to model it to my children. I pray that with God's help I will be better able to serve my family with servanthood and humility, and teach my children to do likewise. And for those of us who feel that we just cannot stretch to 'slavery', cultivating this quality also comes with a huge bonus:

'God gives grace to the humble!' (James 4:6)