Main Point and Overview:
My pastor told me years ago that every disciple of Jesus should serve the Lord in two ministries – one in which he loves to do, and one in which he doesn’t love to do. His reasoning was that it teaches humility and sacrifice. I never forgot those words. Jesus, in an emphatic display of humility, did what only the most menial of servants were required to do – he washed the dirt-infested feet of his disciples. In that moment, he had their undivided attention, and he taught them the powerful lesson of cleansing. Of course, he was illustrating for them that for a person to truly enter the Kingdom of God, he had to be cleansed from his sins. It would take humility to receive that kind of truth. As Peter saw his fellow disciples’ feet being washed, when it came to his turn, he proudly objected. He didn’t realize that the soon-to-be suffering Savior was trying to teach him about true Kingdom of God priorities. Ultimately, Peter received the lesson, yet only in the future would he truly understand the powerful illustration. What about you and me? How quick are we to do the “dirty jobs” for God and his church? When is the last time that you served in an area that really tested your patience? The American church needs to get back to “washing feet,” not literally, but figuratively. The only form of leadership that God truly blesses is the kind that is driven by selfless service. Ultimately, it is that kind of leadership that creates a fertile soil for the seed of the Gospel of Jesus to be received. This was the night before Jesus would die on The Cross for the sins of the world, and this was one of his final lessons, and it was a big one! There is no telling how God could use our lives if we would but offer to him our time, talents, and treasures! The time is NOW to become a servant leader!
My pastor told me years ago that every disciple of Jesus should serve the Lord in two ministries – one in which he loves to do, and one in which he doesn’t love to do. His reasoning was that it teaches humility and sacrifice. I never forgot those words. Jesus, in an emphatic display of humility, did what only the most menial of servants were required to do – he washed the dirt-infested feet of his disciples. In that moment, he had their undivided attention, and he taught them the powerful lesson of cleansing. Of course, he was illustrating for them that for a person to truly enter the Kingdom of God, he had to be cleansed from his sins. It would take humility to receive that kind of truth. As Peter saw his fellow disciples’ feet being washed, when it came to his turn, he proudly objected. He didn’t realize that the soon-to-be suffering Savior was trying to teach him about true Kingdom of God priorities. Ultimately, Peter received the lesson, yet only in the future would he truly understand the powerful illustration. What about you and me? How quick are we to do the “dirty jobs” for God and his church? When is the last time that you served in an area that really tested your patience? The American church needs to get back to “washing feet,” not literally, but figuratively. The only form of leadership that God truly blesses is the kind that is driven by selfless service. Ultimately, it is that kind of leadership that creates a fertile soil for the seed of the Gospel of Jesus to be received. This was the night before Jesus would die on The Cross for the sins of the world, and this was one of his final lessons, and it was a big one! There is no telling how God could use our lives if we would but offer to him our time, talents, and treasures! The time is NOW to become a servant leader!
Posted in Devotional