Luke 22:24-26 KJV

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you,let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

Luke 22:24-30 MSG

Get Ready for Trouble

Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: “Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like  to  give  themselves fancy  titles. It’s not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among  you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.

“Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or  the  one who serves the dinner? You’d rather eat  and  be  served,  right?  But I’ve taken my place among you as the one who serves.  And you’ve stuck with me through  thick  and  thin.  Now  I  confer  on  you  the royal authority my Father conferred on me  so  you can eat  and  drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God’s people.

With these preceding scriptures, Jesus teaches us a lesson in greatness through service and humility. All children  must  learn  to care for and demonstrate their love for others through acts of

kindness and service. It is the gentleness or kindness of God that makes one great.

David says,” 2 Samuel 22:36

“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: And thy gentleness hath made me great”.

Children learn to be kind by being taught to be kind or express kindness to others. Children at the natural birth, have selfishness inborn in the human nature, with which they make their debut into the world. So as teachers or parents,  it  is  our  responsibility  to instruct our children through the Word of God, in the importance of service, humility, rendering help and being kind to others.

Parents must train their child or children to participate in house chores in the home, by assigning definite tasks to them as part of their contribution in the home. This will teach children to be others- centered than self-centered. It will teach them to appreciate when others serve them and not grow up with an “entitled mentality”, thinking the world owes them something, or that “they are the center of the world”. This also teaches the child accountability and response-ability.

Scriptures say,” Proverbs 22:15 KJV “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;

but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”

Proverbs 22:15 TLB

“A youngster’s heart is filled with  rebellion,  but  punishment  will drive it out of him.”

Proverbs 22:15 MSG

Young people are prone to foolishness and  fads; The cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

It’s never too early for children to cultivate servant-like traits.  When we start by teaching and modelling basic kindness, we lay a foundation for communicating the value of service and charity. The application of rewards and praises for services rendered and punishment for  laziness,  (which  is  also  an  outward  demonstration of selfishness laden in the heart) will encourage the child in volunteering to serve both at home and in the community and world at large.

Some worthwhile aspects of servanthoodto teach our kids could include:

1. Empathy and compassion:

About the time kids’ start talking, children are capable of empathy. Through observation, you would  find  young  children  who  found their friends or parents were physically or emotionally hurt, either seeks to solve the problem or offer comfort and  kindness  to  the parent or friend. It is critical that we  nurture  this  inherent  concern for others in our kids.

2. Godly work ethic:

The Bible frequently warns against idleness, asserting that it leads to ruin.

Proverbs 29:15 TLB

“A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,

but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.”

Proverbs 19:18 TLB

“Discipline your son in his early years while there is  hope.  If  you don’t, you will ruin his life.”

Work is not a punishment from God but a means by which we develop character. People who understand the purpose of work – and who find satisfaction in a job well done – are most likely to behave in ways that will improve their world.

3. Volunteering, serving and giving:

We must encourage our kids to voluntarily serve and give of themselves to their  church,  school,  community  and  world  at  large. In God’s economy, our time and money are not our own. We are stewards and administrators of his earthly kingdom. People who understand and act on this principle set themselves up to receive abundant blessing, in this life and the next!

4. Discernment in Servanthood:

Compassion must be tempered by wisdom  and  discernment.  Kids need to recognize that even if their motives are pure, other people’s may not be especially in our world today. Kids must  be  taught practical ways of protecting themselves while giving their time in service.