Serve

Thursday, July 31, 2022

Jesus rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  John 13:4-5  

Serve

What does it mean to be a servant? True servants can only serve when self is out of the way. Service takes humility and sacrifice and the ability to see value in everyone – to see everyone worthy of your personal time and efforts. Otherwise, you are only going through the motions, and though there will be benefits to those receiving, they will not receive the full benefit, and neither will you.  In the passage above, we see with great humility, Jesus poured out the water and began the menial servant task of washing feet.  It surprised everyone that night … but it shouldn't us who sit on this side of the table. 

Serve in spite of your circumstances. 

Jesus was a servant in spite of His circumstances. – How many times has your heart been broken to the point that you don’t even want to see anyone? We can actually miss some opportunities that God sends our way when we are too wrapped up in our own circumstances. Most often serving is a healing balm to a broken heart, and maybe two broken hearts, depending on the circumstances of the ones you are serving. Jesus was very close to his death at this point and He knew it. But He put it all aside to serve – to model to us how we should serve. Serving others takes our minds off our hurting heart and focuses on others and their needs. We may have a whole new perspective on our own problems when we spend time really serving others and see the hardships that others go through. 

Serving is sometimes messy work – In this story Jesus got up from His supper and took off His garments. He had to get down on the floor to get to the disciples’ feet to wash and dry them. Feet are one of the most humbling parts of our bodies, right?  Who wants to take off their shoes and let someone else clean their feet?  They are sweaty and smelly, and it is a real sacrifice to want to serve someone by was their feet.  It is also a beautiful gift. In Jesus’ time, they walked the dusty roads all day long and it was necessary because they would get so dirty. Feet were considered the dirtiest part of the body.  

Sometimes serving is really messy, like cleaning out buildings, cleaning up after disasters, or helping homeless people who may have not bathed in quite a while.  All are precious in God’s eyes and that means that they should be precious in our eyes too.  They need to know that they are valuable and worthy of care and help.  This is what being the hands and feet of Jesus are all about – sometimes doing the work no one else wants to do. 

Serving takes time.  Jesus took His time with each disciple while washing their feet, and not only did Jesus wash their feet, He took the time to wipe them dry. He could have had them all line up and pour water over their feet, and then tossed them a towel.  But He didn’t.  They deserved His time and attention, and those we serve deserve out time and attention too. 

Servanthood is a choice we make to give something of ourselves to others, strictly for the benefit of others. Self-centered service performs an act of service to get something in return – even if it is just to be noticed. True service from the heart can never be about ourselves.  Self has to be removed from the equation.  Even though service is about others, our hearts will be blessed and our lives transformed serving others. God is always glorified when we serve others.  

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 

A Lifestyle of Servanthood

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

 

When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Matthew 13:12-17

 

A Lifestyle of Servanthood

 

Jesus gave us the perfect example of serving others with his whole life. During his last meal with his disciples, Jesus modeled servanthood for them and called them to do as he has done for them. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. Jesus calls us to live a life of servanthood – a life where we live and move and have our being in him. When we live and move and have our being in him, and when we live and love like Jesus, our whole life, everything we say and do, is lived in him.

 

For in him we live and move and have our being… Acts 17:28

 

In him we live and move and have our being. Everything we are is because of him – down to the air we breathe. We exist because of him, by him, and for him. In a surrendered life nothing we have is our own. Our breath, our body, our possessions, and our time is all for him. The words we say and the things we do should glorify him and point others to him. Just as we have talked about worship being a lifestyle, servanthood is a lifestyle as well. As Jesus followers it should be second nature to us to step up and serve when needed and as opportunities arrive. If we are available, and able, and can in any way, we should. When we across come opportunities, we should be ready and willing. 

 

Many times it is a small sacrifice with a bountiful reward. Others will be blessed by our obedience to serve, and our hearts will be blessed by obedience, filled by the pouring out of ourselves for others. We should also be surrendered to serve when it comes as a great sacrifice to us. We should not reserve our serving for small opportunities with little inconvenience. Those are just as important, but it is good for us to be inconvenienced for the glory of God and the ministry of servanthood. Where is the surrender in only serving when it is good for you, when you don’t get messy, or when you don’t have to sacrifice something of yourself, your time, or your resources. When there is a sacrifice involved we sometimes see the real commitment level of servanthood.

 

Are you willing to be inconvenienced? 

Are you willing to sacrifice? 

Are you willing to give up your time, energy, and resources to live a surrendered and obedient life serving others? 

 

If you have ever surrendered in servanthood and a life in relationship with Jesus, learning to live and love like him, you know there are inconceivable blessings that follow. We are blessed by obedience. We will be blessed by helping others. We have a heavenly reward waiting for us. Living a life of surrender and servanthood does not mean an empty life of giving away ourselves to others. It is a life of abundance as the love of God fills us more and more as we pour ourselves out in service and love for his glory.