John 13:6-9 KJV
Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? [7] Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. [8] Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. [9] Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Service is the act rendered to others, the performance of labor for the benefit of another, or at another’s command.
Service is mostly the attendance of an inferior, hired helper, slave, etc., on a superior, employer, master, or the like; also, spiritual obedience and love.
A popular concept in personal life is the ability to afford the luxury of hiring others to serve you in whatever capacity you require- 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 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 other-centered just like the servant and not self-centered. 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 feet with love and devotion. Jesus took on the job normally meant for slave and servant offered to guests as part of hospitality; no one, other than them would volunteer for such a menial and distasteful job. 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, Matthew 25:40, we will do so willingly, joyfully and with love.
How can we serve God in our lives today? Joshua 22:5 tells us. A servant is loyal and obedient to his master even it’s not convenient, regardless of what other people may think, serving and following God really 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 often feel overwhelmed with all that we must do, you need to know and understand your own capabilities and limitations and then to pace yourself, allocating and prioritizing your time, your attention, and your resources to wisely help others, including your family…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 —serve the Lord by serving humanity.
Serve God by Faith. Hebrews 11:2.
Study your Bible, 2 Timothy 2:15.
Pray with others, James 5:16.
Serving God in Your Community, Deuteronomy 15:11.
God expects us to have a servant’s heart, Jesus served, so we too can learn from that example and serve others, if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you’ve got to be the servant of all.
Shalom