John 13:5-9 (MSG)
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron.
6 When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.”
8 Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!” Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.”
9 “Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”
Service is the performance of labour for the benefit of another, or at another’s command. It is also the spiritual obedience and love to the work of the kingdom.
A popular concept in life is the ability to afford the luxury of hiring others to serve you in whatever capacity you require- cook, clean, drive, and more, usually by a servant, a low paid (unpaid), mostly ignored, and overlooked in the household and society.
Jesus in His teaching in Matthew 20:20-28 turns this idea upside down in saying that the highest goal in life is not to have servants but to be a servant.
The essence of an effective Christian life is centred on being a servant and not self-centred. In God’s system, serving others is the opposite of selfishness, we serve because we love God according to Deuteronomy 11:13.
Can you imagine the state of the disciple’s feet on the night Jesus washed them? Gnarled from years of trampling over the rough paths and rocky terrains of Palestine; dusty, muddy, and unsightly feet. Yet Jesus, the Kings of kings, stooped down and washed each big, smelly foot with love and devotion. Jesus took on the job normally meant for slave and servant, offered to a guest as part of hospitality; no one, other than them would volunteer for such menial and distasteful job. But Jesus did.
We often agree to serve after repeated asking, cajoling, and if there’s a perk in it for us but Jesus here shows that there’s no job or service too inconvenient, too mundane, or too disgusting to do. When we understand who it is we are serving explains Matthew 25:40, we will serve willingly, joyfully and with love.
Joshua 22:5 tells us how we can serve God in our lives today.
Be diligent in obedience to God. We must pay the strictest regard to every moral precept.
And the law—we must observe all the rites and ceremonies of our Christian faith.
Love the Lord your God—Without an affectionate filial attachment to God, service would be tiresome, boring, and impossible.
Walk in all his ways—we must not only believe and love, but obey, not walk in our ways, but walk in those which God has pointed out.
Keep his commandments—we must love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and our neighbours as ourselves.
Serve Him—we must consider and acknowledge God as our Master, with the absolute right to appoint us where He desires our service.
With all your heart, our affections and passions are sanctified and united to God through Christ.
A servant is loyal and obedient to his master even if it’s not convenient, regardless of what other people may think, serving and following God is the only way to live a fulfilling, victorious life.
To serve God starts with serving in our families. We work, clean, love, support, listen to, teach, and endlessly give of ourselves to the members of our families, church, ministry, and friends.
We may feel overwhelmed with serving but understand your capabilities and limitations and then pace yourself, allocating and prioritizing your time, your attention, and your resources to wisely help others, including your family.
As a servant of Christ, 1 Peter 4:11 says to serve the Lord by serving humanity.
Jesus served, so follow his example and serve, if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you’ve got to be the servant of all.
Shalom