Will the Most Important Person in the Room Raise Your Hand?

If you believe you’re the most important person in the room, go ahead and raise your hand.

It sounds almost humorous when you say it out loud. And yet, haven’t we all been in spaces where someone silently, or not so silently, seems to carry that very belief? I know I have.

Here’s the truth: no one in the room is more important than anyone else.

This reflection has been on my heart since a recent experience at a restaurant. I was enjoying a quiet meal when I witnessed a customer loudly ridicule a waitress because her glass of water didn’t have ice. What could have been a simple request turned into a humiliating scene. The customer belittled the waitress’s job and even suggested she “go to college” and “be somebody.”

My heart ached for that waitress. No one deserves to be diminished over something so trivial, and certainly not for earning an honest living.

Every person matters. Every job carries value.

Think about it. Without servers, how would we enjoy the experience of dining out? Without the countless individuals who serve in roles often overlooked, many of the comforts we take for granted would simply not exist.

Some people mistakenly believe that more education or a higher title makes them more significant. But significance is not measured by degrees or job descriptions. It is measured by character.

Consider the example of Jesus Christ. In John 13:14 (NIV), He says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” He didn’t just speak about humility, He demonstrated it. He washed the feet of His disciples, of sinners, and even of Judas Iscariot, the very man who would later betray Him.

That act alone dismantles the idea that status determines worth.

If the One called Lord and Teacher could kneel in service, who are we to stand in superiority?

Today, let us choose gratitude over arrogance. Let us extend kindness instead of criticism. Let us remember that dignity belongs to everyone, whether they are leading a company, serving a meal, or quietly doing work the world rarely notices.

And the next time we find ourselves in a room full of people, may we remember: we are important, but so is everyone else.