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Oseola McCarty grew up in Hattiesburg, MS. She only went to school till the 6th grade, when she dropped out to help her mother take care of their family and a sick relative. Her mother did laundry for families, getting only 50 cents a load. But Oseola worked, paid her bills, and saved the rest. She read her Bible, prayed every day, went to church every Sunday. When she turned 86, her banker sat down with her to talk about what she wanted to do with her savings after she died. She was shocked to learn she had saved a quarter of a million dollars. She decided to set aside $150,000 to help African Americans get the education she never got. She did not ask the university to name anything in her honor. When word got out of what she had done, news of her generosity spread nationwide. John the Baptist was also a humble servant of God. He described himself as simply a voice in the wilderness urging people to turn from their sins and prepare for Christ’s arrival. When the religious leaders quizzed him about his authority to baptize, he simply said: “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals” (from John 1:26–27). John’s humility in serving Christ can be a model for us. Rather than use Jesus to boost our own self-centered glory, we should point others to Him.
