“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:14-15
Sweet sister, I know your heart desires to follow the Lord and express His Love by serving others. Still, it can be challenging to understand what that means practically. At times, the people in our lives can be difficult or hurtful, and often the first instinct of our flesh is to run or fight. Unfortunately, it is seldom our natural inclination to serve during these times. However, examining the biblical account of the last supper, we see Jesus’ desire to serve His disciples by washing their feet even as He faced imminent betrayal and death.
In those days, the repulsive task of washing a guest’s feet belonged to the lowliest servant. People of Jesus’ day wore sandals and walked on unpaved roads caked with human refuse and animal waste. Their feet were horrendous! Jesus took on the mantle of the lowest servant when He removed His robe and bent before His friends in humble leadership. What is truly fantastic is that Jesus recognized exactly what was to come in the following days. John 13:11 mentions that Jesus knew who would betray Him, He knew his best friends would abandon Him, and He knew Judas would sell Him to authorities for just a few pieces of silver.
Our human reaction to such hurt and betrayal would likely be intense anger and retaliation, yet Jesus’ response was tender service. He poured out Love to His wayward friends in His words and His actions. My friend, He is calling you to do the same (Galatians 5:13). Is there someone in your life who is difficult? Maybe you have a child going through a challenging phase, a marriage that is not what you expected, or a friend or family member who has hurt your heart. Jesus desires that we follow His example by serving people who have hurt us—the very ones we do not wish to serve and those we feel certainly do not deserve our kindness.
How can we possibly serve in the sacrificial way Jesus demonstrated? We are told: “the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25 ESV). That seems like a very tall order. But be encouraged, my friend; God will provide just what you need to serve the people He has placed in your life! In 1 Peter 4:10, you will find that you should “use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace.” God has already given you the spiritual gifts necessary to minister to those who have wounded you. Pray that He will show you how to use those gifts
effectively for His glory!
There is no shame in biblical servanthood. By imitating Christ, servants do not lose their identity; in contrast, they become remarkable in the eyes of the Lord (Mark 10:43). Serving the way Jesus served will be a blessing to you too! We serve others because we are serving God through those actions. There will be rewards of peace and joy in our lives that we cannot comprehend—benefits of obedience we cannot see. Beloved, Jesus came to clean your heart as He cleaned the disciples’ feet. He came to save you and show you Love as you have never known before. As He pours Love into your heart through His Spirit and His Word, serving others will simply be a manifestation of that amazing gift!
Blessings and Love,
Tara Davis & the Help Club for Moms Team
When you see someone has had a hand in writing a book for moms, you immediately assume they must have it all together. I do not. Maybe you don’t either. But I have some good news for you…we have a perfectly gracious Savior who loves us so very much, imperfections and all!
Together, we can learn who He is and who we are in Him, and together, we can take this one little life He has given us and pour out His love in a way that changes hearts, especially our own!
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