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Serving for greatness
Pastor's corner
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“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.’” — Mark 10:42-43

People across the nation recently gathered to recognize and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the delivery of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the capital mall in Washington, D.C.
In this speech, he outlined and defined the inequality of the treatment of those who were of a different race, especially African-Americans. For the majority of the world, King was considered to be a hero and a great man.
You often hear of people desiring to be great, looking for a secret formula to catapult them into greatness. But the Bible gives us a small glimpse of what it really takes to be great.
In the book of Mark, as James and John jockey for a position of greatness within the kingdom of God, Jesus addresses the situation and tells them that greatness doesn’t come with a position or a title. But greatness comes from being a servant. How many of us take the time to serve others?
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
You see, serving isn’t really about you, but because you place yourself in a position of submission, God will exalt you in into a greater position for your future. King and Gandhi put into action a sincere desire to serve others who were in need.
During my time here in Liberty County, I’ve found various groups of people who have made a conscious decision to make differences in the lives of others. We live in a great community. We have our faults and areas of improvement, but compared to other areas with similar demographics, we are distinguished by our commitment to service.
If we are going to continue to be great and survive the ups and downs of our constantly changing society, we must continue to serve. Because we serve, we’re great, and because we’re great, our community is great. So whenever you see the opportunity and you desire to be great, remember: just serve!

Hayes is the senior pastor of New Day Community Church and the President of the United Ministerial Alliance.

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