Domination, part 2
My nine year old son called me today to announce, in triumphant detail, the annihilation of his brother and sister in monopoly. In the course of one hour of play he owned all but four total properties, had built thirty-two houses and sixteen hotels, and had rendered their fortunes flushed down the toilet, ala GM. His brother and sister are five years old. What struck me was that he legitimately enjoyed dominating them like that. That is the nature of the raw man. He strives to assert himself as superior to others, and can even enjoy "illegitimate" wins or winning with complete disregard to any set of rules or integrity.
As we get older we learn to be more sophisticated in our expressions of that raw desire, but it is clearly a powerful motivator in men's lives and in society at large.
The Christ-oriented man stands out in sharp contrast to the raw man because his delight is to serve, not dominate. Matthew 20:25-28 clearly defines the Jesus man. "Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'"
Men, are you seeking today to exercise superiority over others, or are you seeking to serve others? Being a man and being a leader, according to Jesus, mean being a servant. Serve with a vengeance!
As we get older we learn to be more sophisticated in our expressions of that raw desire, but it is clearly a powerful motivator in men's lives and in society at large.
The Christ-oriented man stands out in sharp contrast to the raw man because his delight is to serve, not dominate. Matthew 20:25-28 clearly defines the Jesus man. "Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'"
Men, are you seeking today to exercise superiority over others, or are you seeking to serve others? Being a man and being a leader, according to Jesus, mean being a servant. Serve with a vengeance!
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