Already as a twelve-year-old, District Apostle Mark Woll from Canada made the experience that even the boss of a company is really nothing but a servant. In his Spotlight article he explores how much serving there really is in reigning.
At a young age I learned what serving and reigning really means. I was twelve and worked in my father’s warehouse for the summer. He owned a wholesale upholstery fabric and supply company. My job was sweeping the warehouse and cleaning the bathrooms, which I took pride in doing. One day I said to my father, “When I grow up, I want to have my own company and be the boss just like you.”
He said to me, “Son, I have hundreds of bosses.”
I was surprised at this and replied, “How can that be? You are the CEO and owner.”
He answered, “When a customer calls me on Friday night and says they are short a half yard of material to finish a project, then I have to react and go to the warehouse early on Saturday morning, cut the material and deliver it to him because his customer is demanding the job to be finished so that their customer, a hotel guest, can come to the hotel restaurant and find a beautifully furnished environment. So you see son, no one is the boss, but each one serves the other, just like the natural creation where each living thing has its place and supports the creation. The one and only true boss is God. God is love and righteousness, He rules by serving us. Likewise, what He demands of us is not for His benefit but for ours.”
The Son of God demonstrated that the greatest are those who serve. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20: 28). In fact, in Luke 22: 26 Christ stated that those who lead should serve. A true leader is not a person who seeks self-gratification or glory but leads with the pure motive of helping people.
Ruling is not about exercising authority over others or even over political systems. In fact, God created man in His image to rule over himself. Even Israel was not meant to have a king. God was to be their king, but they demanded that God give them a king so they could be like the other nations (1 Samuel 8). As a result of the fall into sin, police, governing authorities, doctors, and so on became necessary. In the new creation there will be no authority other than the triune God, who will continue to provide for us out of love as we will joyfully glorify and serve Him.
Photo: NAC Canada