Today at church, the homily focused on the Gospel in Mark 10:35-45,
where the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, made a request of our Lord Jesus for seats of honor: one at His right and the other at His left. They sought status, a place of power in the Kingdom. When the other disciples heard this, they were livid. One thing is certain, James and John were bold in their pursuit of ambition, which is admirable in a way.
But our Lord’s response was clear: those who wish to be great must first be servants. This teaching resonates deeply with me, especially in the context of what I witness daily at work and in life. It seems like people simply don't want to work, and in this case, serve. I don’t think my observation is wrong or excessive because I've been noticing this for at least ten years.
At work, I often see people walking around, displaying their positions of authority within the organization. They carry their titles with pride, but too often, their leadership becomes detached from true service to the organization. For them, it’s about ego, power, control, and maintaining a sense of superiority over others. Their focus shifts to numbers, metrics, and profits, often at any cost, forgetting what it means to truly serve. Service to: their staff, their customers, and even the greater purpose of their roles at large. What was James and John’s true motive for seeking a place of power? Perhaps it was to prove to the other disciples that they had made it on their own, that they had earned it through their own sweat and hard work. But really?
And outside of work, I see people trying to prove to you who they are and what they can do so as to command love, respect and admiration from us. I don’t see very many people out there striving to serve others. Service to others is truly the greatest.
Back to healthcare, this mindset of everything but people can be particularly heartbreaking. The human element is often lost when leaders become consumed by the bottom line, forgetting that at the heart of our work are the people we care for, the families we interact with, and the colleagues who stand beside us. It’s not about sitting in the "high seat" or calling all the shots. As our Lord said, the greatest among us are those who serve. And serving doesn’t diminish us; it elevates us in ways that truly matter.
So today, I reflected deeply on that lesson. I don’t want to chase titles or power, and I’m certainly not against those who do. We need great leadership at all levels of our endeavors, beginning from home. It just needs to be balanced with true service, especially when we’re dealing with flesh and blood, not machines or computer codes. I’m also not anti-tech.
Ultimately, true leadership is a calling, and if called, God will speak to the heart. With the right mindset, we embrace and excel at it. What also matters most is that we strive to serve, to see the person in need of service as human before focusing on the task at hand, to value hearts over numbers, and to lift others up by standing with them in their time of need.
May we all aspire to be servants, trusting that the seats we’re meant to fill will come to us as destined and not through empty ambition, but through humility and grace.
God bless, and happy Sunday.
I remain your pal,
Ronnie
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