And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. (1 Kings 12:7)
A king’s first duty to his people is to serve, not rule. If a people know that their interests are the first interests of their ruler, their hearts will be knit with his, and they will be his willing servants. Christ came into the world “not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).