Yesterday, I reflected on the wisdom that “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.” In eighth grade, I stood just five feet two—short like my mom, while my dad was tall. But by sophomore year, I shot up to six-three and played power forward on the basketball team. Suddenly, I was often picked first for pickup games, which felt great. Yet, I knew I wasn’t the best player.

There’s no feeling quite like having a group of teenagers lined up, and the captain points at you: “I’m taking that guy. What’s your name?”—”I’m Bobby, and I’m ready to play.” But if my goal was to win, being picked first wasn’t always ideal, since some players were better than me. Sometimes, it’s wiser to be picked last.  Jesus illustrated this with a story: In His day, when you attended a party, everyone knew the seat of honor at the table. Some guests had the audacity to take the best seat immediately. But what if the host asked, “Excuse me, Mr. Schuller, please move to a lesser seat”? Of course, you would comply—likely feeling embarrassed.

My friend, instead, Jesus said to take the lowest seat. Why? Because the host might say, “Mr. Schuller, why are you sitting all the way down there? Please, take the best seat.” These stories are life analogies: the greatest people are those who serve. Know that those who are willing to take the lowest position often end up called by God to sit in the first and most honored position. This is the path to a truly abundant life.