“So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” John 13:4-5 NLT.

Being a mom has many challenges. It seems like someone always needs something from you, and your wants, needs, and desires must often take a backseat to those of your children. To be a mother truly requires a servant’s heart. Let’s learn today how Jesus showed us, by example, what it means to serve others.

As Jesus finished the Last Supper with his disciples, there were so many things he wanted to share with them. In our verse today, we see that Jesus wanted to wash the feet of the disciples, and in doing so, he was showing them the importance of serving others with love and humility.

In biblical times, in the Ancient East, the washing of one’s feet was the first act upon entering a tent or a house after a journey. Since only sandals were worn on dusty roads, a person’s feet were washed as a necessity and a sign of respect to avoid dragging the filth from the outside to the inside.

The washing was typically done by a servant, dressed in simple clothing; a towel girded around their waist. For any person, this was the lowest of all duties. When Jesus took off his robe and laid it aside, he was symbolically removing his mantle and his title as the Son of God.

In simple clothing, with a towel girded around his waist, Jesus was preparing to perform the lowest of all duties. He was preparing to be a servant and to give us an example of how we must become servants also.

Jesus said to the disciples, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15 NLT). I believe that Jesus wanted us to see that loving means serving and that this is the true reflection of a humble heart that longs to love more completely, fully, and unwaveringly.

This week as you find yourself hearing “Mom” for the hundredth time, remember what Jesus showed us at the Last Supper. You are a reflection of the humble and loving servant’s heart of Christ for your children!

Blessings,

Susie and the Help Club for Moms Team

For more information about Susie’s ministry, Between the Gardens, visit her website at susieoneal.org.

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Susie O'Neal

Hello! My name is Susie. I have been married to my best friend, Andy, for twenty-five years, and we have two beautiful daughters who are twenty-four and twenty-one. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, where I work full-time as a writer and proofreader at a textbook company. I am the creator and writer of Between the Gardens Ministries, LLC., where I am passionate about teaching and encouraging believers through the truth of God's Word through online evangelism. I am blessed to be a part of this wonderful community, and I pray I can help mentor and inspire mothers of all ages and stages.

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