Let Jesus Serve You

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” – John 13:8

It is very clear to me according to the Word of God, that we are servants of God. This is our most noble work. Equally true is that God wants to serve us.

Jesus demonstrates to the disciples what it means to lead: serve. He takes the time to remove His outer garments, takes a towel, girds Himself with the towel, and washes their path-worn, dirty, dusty feet.

Use your sanctified imagination with me. Jesus goes to James and John, and they are a bit confused, thinking: “This is not what we signed up for. We want to be great!” He goes to Matthew who is trying to figure out how to market this “foot-washing” service. Jesus then serves Judas. Judas, having already betrayed Jesus in his heart, is full of shame at this point. He must have asked, “how can Jesus wash my feet, knowing that I have betrayed Him?” Finally, Jesus prepares to wash Peter’s feet and meets resistance. Everyone else had thoughts about the foot washing, but did not express their ideas. Not Peter. Never one who lacks words, he tells Jesus, flat out, “You will NEVER wash my feet!” Peter had the right concept, but the wrong response. It is good to not think too highly of your self and to acknowledge Jesus’ superiority. However, it is not good to reject Jesus’ goodness, mercy and grace because of your religious ideas of what Jesus should or should not do.

Jesus is Lord! If He wants to wash your feet, don’t resist. Receive! It is never spiritual to reject the gifts of God or to accept them with false humility.

Jesus tells Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Peter then goes to the other extreme and says wash my hands and my head too. LOL! Well, Peter, you are almost there. Just let Jesus wash your feet “bruh”.

Lord helps us to learn to let You love/serve us like You want to, and to get out of Your way.

To what extent will you let Jesus serve you? Receive.

 

Valuing People

The more we value people, the better we can help them. People are more important than what they do for a living. They are more valuable than “the letter of the law”. People matter to God. He died for them. He got up from the grave for them. He is coming back for them (those that receive Him.) People matter to God.

The religious leaders in Matthew 12 tried to get Jesus trapped by the letter of the law. They were focussed on their religious agenda. Jesus was focussed on helping people. He poses a question to them, that I believe He poses to us today: “Of how much more value is a man than a sheep?”

Today, it sometimes seems that people are more concerned about whales than they are the little fatherless kid. Some are more concerned about turtles than the small business owner who is losing his business. But, people matter to God.

After Jesus talks about the priority of people, he demonstrates it. He tells the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand.” While the religious leaders were pontificating and posturing, Jesus was serving and saving. He valued the man, thus was able to help him.

People matter to God. God help us to be more like You.

You have the power today to tell someone, “stretch out your hand.” Who can you value and serve today?

 

The Powerless Leader

In God’s Kingdom, very often leaders are called to do the opposite of what comes natural to most people.  To increase, they give.  To abundantly live, something in them must die.  To lead, they have to follow the Holy Spirit.   To be honored, they first choose humility.   To reign, they must fellowship with Christ in His suffering.  To be strong, they will first be weak before God.

Ultimately, the godly leader’s confidence is in her fear of God.   The godly leader is as powerful as he is powerless before God.

Prayer is as powerful as we are powerless.  When you go to God, get low.  Abandon all of your power.  And, with arms stretched wide, endure the cross.

Grace is released at the cross – the ultimate place of voluntary powerlessness.

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

 

Leadership At It’s Best: Jesus

A monumental moment in the lives of Jesus’ disciples occurred in Matthew 10.  Jesus sent them out to do what He had been doing. Up to this point, they have watched Jesus do the work.  Now, it’s their turn.

This is leadership at it’s best: modeling the behavior you want to see reproduced and then empowering people do it, while cheering them on. Lord help us, as leaders, to be the word we preach while taking people along for the ride!

I believe God is calling leaders in this hour to be like Jesus – to do before teaching, to take people with them on their journeys with God, to show people how to pray for others and how to share their faith (by doing it with them) and then releasing them to do the same.

This is the ultimate growth strategy – leadership at it’s best.

 

2009 Challenge

If you really want to know the heart of God, read Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Jesus is praying for us. What an awesome thought.

He is so consumed with seeing us come to know God and living out our purpose, that, as the Bible says, “He ever liveth to make intercession for us.”

Would you join Jesus this year in living to pray for other people?

Here’s the challenge: Pray for the needs of others, before you pray for yourself.

Watch what God will do!!!