My father was always tricky to please. It wasn’t necessarily his fault. It was the chemicals in his body—they made him angry. When he skipped his medication or depression crept in, his fury would linger over our household and reverberate into our hearts.

And I remember trying to fix it. I remember making big, boisterous efforts in order to win my place next to him. I came in first at talent shows, DJ’d at our local radio station, and won the title of "Miss Hesperia" in our city’s pageant. I tried everything to be perfect in exchange for a nod and a smile from my father.

And I sometimes think this mentality creeps into our relationship with Christ. We feel His authority over us and respond in the performance-based way we’ve responded to authority all of our lives. We do our jig, pray our prayers, and race up to the highest rung on the ladder.

But Christ calls us down. He calls us to serve, to love. He calls us to humility. Today’s Gospel is a beautiful reminder of that.

“Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27).

I don’t know what race you’re trying to win or what ladder you're trying to climb, but there is a place for you below. There is a place in the middle of the mess and the heartache and the chaos of life. There is a place to serve.

So, step down and roll up your sleeves, dear sister. Let’s get to work.

[bctt tweet="Let's get to work. // @iambritcal" username="blessedisshe__"]

listen to today’s devotion

Where are you called to serve right now in your life?