When Authority Is Earned By Willingness

Scripture makes this plain: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43). Authority in the Kingdom is never detached from humility; it is forged through it.  

This is not about competence. There are times when someone else can do a task better, faster, or more efficiently, and wisdom recognizes that. Scripture affirms order and gifting (1 Corinthians 12:4–6). But far more often, the reason we avoid certain kinds of work has nothing to do with ability and everything to do with perception. We simply don’t see ourselves as someone who should have to do that kind of work. Yet Jesus dismantled this thinking when He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).  

In our culture — especially in the United States — we’ve developed an unspoken pecking order of what we consider acceptable or unacceptable work for ourselves. Certain jobs are labeled “less than.  ” Certain tasks are outsourced not because we can’t do them, but because we don’t want to be associated with them. Scripture warns us against this posture: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). When we adopt a mindset that ranks work — and people — we quietly step away from the heart of Christ.  

True favor, true influence, and true witness come when people see that we do not look down on the work they do, or on the people who do it. James reminds us that God shows no partiality (James 2:1), and neither should we. When we are willing to step into the same dirt, the same discomfort, and the same effort, walls come down. Respect is no longer demanded; it is freely given.  “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1).  

I learned this firsthand as the founder of a large drug and alcohol recovery facility. There were countless moments when work needed to be done — septic tanks cleaned, ditches dug, messes handled that nobody wanted to touch. I could have easily delegated every one of those tasks. But I found something powerful when I chose instead to step in first. Scripture says, “Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves” (Luke 22:26). When men trying to rebuild their lives saw me — often twice their age — grab a shovel, climb into a ditch, and do the dirty work alongside them, authority was established without words.  

That same principle has proven true here in Costa Rica. When people hear about feeding the poor, serving families, or bringing medical care, they often imagine someone arriving with money and handing it out. But Scripture teaches that provision without presence is incomplete: “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). This is a working ranch.  We grow food. We labor in the fields. We walk long distances. We work in the jungle. Day after day, we sow and reap — literally — so that people can eat (Genesis 2:15; Proverbs 14:23).  

The greatest witness we’ve had in this area has not come from showing up as an Americano with resources. It came when people saw me walking instead of always getting in a car, working the land instead of just paying others to do it, and building this place with our own hands. Every one of our staff here — besides myself — are women, and they are out there laboring faithfully.  Scripture honors this kind of work: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).  

Over time, something shifted. Labels fell away. Trust was built. The word gringo quietly disappeared — not because it was challenged, but because it no longer fit.  “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). Presence, humility, and shared labor spoke louder than money ever could.  

This principle applies everywhere — not just in ministry or missions, but in everyday life. The people doing the hardest and least desirable jobs are not beneath us; they are working. They are carrying responsibility. Scripture reminds us, “The laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7), and dignity belongs to honest work. Our greatest witness to them is respect — shown not only in words, but in willingness.  

Jesus modeled this perfectly. He washed feet (John 13:14–15). He touched lepers (Luke 5:13).  He entered broken places without hesitation. He never asked His disciples to go where He was unwilling to go Himself. Because of this, “the people were astonished at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28) — authority flowed from humility.  

Favor follows humility.  “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).  Authority follows willingness. And connection follows shared ground.  

When we are willing to do whatever we ask of others, hierarchy collapses and humanity rises.  We stop leading from above and start walking beside. And in that place — whether in leadership, ministry, or ordinary life — real influence is born.