The Joy of Serving

“And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, ‘Lord, do You wash my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.’ For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’ And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.’” John 13:6-15

Why was Peter so stunned and overcome with shame when Jesus knelt to clean his feet? Foot washing was servant’s work, a menial and dirty task, certainly not a job for an esteemed and beloved Leader. In one humble and brilliant gesture, Jesus demonstrated what their attitude and actions should be.

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” John 13:14-15

This servant’s spirit should characterize everything you do. Of course, it’s easy to think of a hypothetical situation and say, “Yes, I would do anything to help out.” But the real test of your willingness to serve comes when you are confronted with the actual need.

You see trash all around a picnic site. Do you pick up the litter, or do you you eat and walk away, hoping that someone who’s “paid to do it” will clean up? Your elderly neighbor needs a driver to take her to the store and the doctor. Would you volunteer?

The key to overcoming hesitation to serve is keeping the right attitude. When you see others as Jesus sees them, you want to meet their needs with enthusiasm. You discover the joy of serving when you follow the Savior’s lead.

This week, ask the Lord to give you a servant’s heart, and like Jesus, wash someone feet and see if you didn’t have the joy of the Lord!