John 13:5-9 CSB
Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.
[6] He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
[7] Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”
[8] “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”
[9] Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
Service is the act rendered to others, the performance of labour for the benefit of another, or at another’s command. Service is mostly the attendance of one working and serving another on a superior, employer, master, or system.
A popular concept in personal life is the ability to afford the luxury of hiring others to serve you in whatever capacity you require, to cook, clean, drive, and many others- that means a servant, the lowest paid (not all get paid), most ignored and looked down on in the household and society.
Jesus in His teaching in Matthew 20:20-28 turns this idea upside down by 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 other-centred just like the servant and not self-centred. In God’s system, serving others is the opposite of selfishness.
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 slaves and servants offered to a guest as part of hospitality; no one, other than them would volunteer for such a menial and distasteful job. But Jesus did.
We often agree to serve after repeatedly being asked, cajoled, 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, and according to Matthew 25:40, we must serve willingly, joyfully and with love as unto the Lord.
How can we serve God in our lives today? Joshua 22:5 tells us to serve the Lord and everyone with loyalty and obedience 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 and victorious life.
To serve God starts with serving 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 often feel overwhelmed with all that we must do, you need to know and 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 because you can’t give what you don’t have.
The kind of service that makes God look valuable and thrilling is the kind that serves God by constantly receiving from God. 1 Peter 4:11 divides spiritual gifts generally into speaking and serving gifts saying those who serve must not depend on their strength but draw strength from God, so that God may be glorified, so, serve the Lord by serving humanity.
Hebrews 11:2 say to serve God by Faith.
James 5:16 say to serve by praying with others,
Deuteronomy 15:11 say to serve God in your Community.
God expects us to have a servant’s heart, Jesus served, so we can learn from Him and serve others, if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you’ve got to be the servant of all.
Shalom