They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. And some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them just as Jesus had said, and they gave them permission.
When we consider how to live humbly, one of the first things we might worry about is who will watch out for us. We struggle to find the balance of serving others without becoming people pleasers and losing ourselves in the process. This passage serves as a reminder and encouragement in that regard. Caring for our own needs and serving others feel like opposites, but Jesus brings them together through the Holy Spirit. He meets our needs while also giving us the energy and bandwidth to serve others as we abide in Him. When He gave the disciples the instruction to find a donkey, they had room for questions or pushback on why or how this would be done, but they obeyed and saw it come to pass just as Jesus said.
Even as we feel the tension between serving and feeding our own souls, we can trust Jesus. If this is the way He has called us to live, He will equip us for it; He will bring us through it; and we will receive a great reward in heaven. Second Corinthians 4:15-17 reminds us of this purpose of service when Paul said “For all things are for your sakes, so that grace, having spread to more and more people, will cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” A life of humility is not easy, but we can trust that the God who has called us has a plan and keeps His promises.
- When have you felt burnt out from serving? How did you pursue God in that time?
- What would change in your life if you really trusted Jesus’s call to live with humility?
- Pray and ask God to grow your faith and trust in Him and His promises. Ask Him to equip you to follow in His way.
