Jesus Christ, the greatest armorbearer that ever walked the earth, said anyone willing to walk in His footsteps must bear the cost of self-sacrifice. He said this is the prescribed way to live, His way, the only way to finding one’s true self.
Self-sacrifice is the denial of personal interests and needs in order to serve others or advance a cause. “I do not seek My own will,” Jesus said, “but the will of the Father who sent Me.” It is not about getting your own way, it is about carrying out orders. You must have the willingness to give up your rights and privileges in order to satisfy the legitimate needs of people. This is how you find your true self.
A self-sacrificing mentality indicates that you are “other people” minded in your disposition toward life, thereby making a desirable difference in the lives of many. You are indifferent about your position or status but more concerned about how you can make significant contributions to the advancement and progress of others.
Self-sacrifice also means you willingly come under authority in order to exercise authority. It means that your personal self-will has no bearing whatsoever. Rather, God’s will takes precedence in your life. You will have to lay down your will under the command of God for you to be able to command authority in service.
A life of absolute surrender is required for self-sacrifice.
Once making this case about Jesus, one of the great apostles of the Bible said to “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but did not think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He did not claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless (self-sacrificing), obedient life.”
Jesus said of Himself, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own sheep and My own sheep know Me. In the same way, the Father knows Me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before Myself, sacrificing Myself.” So you must pay the price just like Jesus did and lay down your rights and privileges, your status and dignity, then put on the garment of service. This is the way to become truly great!
Jesus said it best, “Anyone wanting to be the greatest must be the least—the servant of all!”
Learn More on getting unstuck, Get the Book Armorbearer, a Life of Service by Tolu Areola