The Early Bird—or Worm?

Bible Reading: Mark 10:35-45

“I get the bathroom first!” yelled Ezra. He rushed past Rachel and scurried into the bathroom. “The early bird gets the worm!” he said with a laugh. Rachel made a face at him, but he had already slammed the door shut.

At breakfast, Ezra grabbed the cornflakes. “Me first!” he said, shaking the crispy, crunchy cereal into his bowl.

After they had eaten, Dad brought out a box. “I found this in the attic and thought you two might like it—it’s a magic trick set I had as a kid.”

“Cool!” exclaimed Ezra as they eagerly dumped the contents on the kitchen table. He opened a book that explained how to do the tricks. “I get to try one first!”

“You always do things first,” said Rachel. “I want to be first for once.”

“Nope! I called it first,” said Ezra. “The early bird gets the worm, you know.”

“You said that at least twice already this morning,” grumbled Rachel. “Where does that expression come from anyway?”

“That’s easy,” said Ezra. “The first bird who comes to the yard in the morning gets the worm for his breakfast, right? By the time the rest come, the worms might be all gone. That’s why being first is best.”

Dad scratched his chin. “How do you know you’re the bird and not the worm?”

Ezra stopped turning pages in the magic trick book. “Huh?”

“Think about the early worm—the first one out of the ground,” said Dad. “Being first didn’t work out so well for him, did it?”

Rachel laughed. “The early bird ate him up. How about that, Ezra? If you’re always first, you might be like the early worm instead of the early bird!”

Dad grinned. “Thinking about it that way turns that expression on its head, doesn’t it? It reminds me of another way that kind of thinking got turned upside down.”

“What’s that?” asked Ezra.

“When Jesus became human and died for our sins, He sacrificed Himself for us even though He is God. And He tells us to treat others the same way by putting them before ourselves.”

Ezra was quiet a moment, then he slowly slid the book over to his sister. “Here, Rachel,” he said. “You can be first to try a magic trick.”

-Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?

Do you always want to be first in anything you do? Do you shove your way in front of kids so you’ll be first in line, first outside at recess, or first to grab a ball? Since Jesus is God, He could have been first in every way, yet He chose to be a servant so we could be saved. Next time you want to be first, remember that His way is best and trust Him to help you serve others and put them first.

Today’s Key Verse: Mark 10:44 Whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Put others before yourself