what does it mean to serve?

"he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." 

this week i studied the events leading up to the atonement. christ said a lot of things during this time, he warned about hypocrisy, he taught us that we needed to look for signs, and he included this little snippet of wisdom about leadership. i’ve thought about this a bit because i’ve been considering what it really means to be a leader. i’ve been thinking about how christ served those around him and that’s what made him a great leader. others wanted to follow him because they saw what he could do for them. 

growing up, leaders always seemed to be the popular kids. it seemed like the only reason to be in any sort of leadership position was the popularity the role brought with it. everyone would know your name, everyone liked you, and people wanted to help you. leadership seemed pretty cool to me because of all the perks that leaders seemed to get. 

until i got asked to be a leader. that's when i started seeing the behind the scenes stuff that happened to leaders. i got to know first hand the struggles and the feelings of inadequacy and the amount of personal effort it took to put on a brave face and confidently say, "alright guys, you can trust me." leadership wasn't always fun for me, but i think it's because i was looking at it the wrong way. 

jesus taught us to serve others, and that the greatest leaders would be the ones with loving hearts and a drive to help those who are down and out on their luck. i've found amazing leaders in places i sometimes didn't expect to find them. these leaders aren't always in the spotlight, and sometimes aren't in official leadership positions. 

these are people who stand up for what they believe in, even though sometimes it's scary and they have to stand against people they love. they are people who do good things and don't talk about it on facebook or instagram. they are anonymous caretakers, filling kits with hygiene items and clothing for strangers fleeing other countries, even though they may never meet them. they are busy people with full time jobs and only a couple hours of personal time that still take the time to listen to others and comfort them. they are people that have nothing to give, but give you everything they have. these people are people that i've met just living their lives and they changed me. they served others in ways that made me want to change, follow them, and ultimately be more christlike. 

thinking about our church and what we do when we are called reminds me that i will never be called to “lead” someone or some group, but i will be called to “serve” them. i'll be called to love them and take care of them the way that christ did for all of us. i'll be called to be selfless and giving, to go above and beyond and not ask for anything in return. hopefully then, my service will point them in the direction of the greatest leader, my savior.