Serving

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. John 13:12-14

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:28

One Sunday recently, I taught a lesson on the spiritual discipline of service in Sunday School. As I talked, a still small voice quietly whispered in my head throughout the lesson that I needed this lesson far more than my kiddos did... We talked about the King of Kings stooping to wash the dirty feet of his followers, and as you would expect, my pre-teen students were disgusted by the thought of cleaning other people’s feet. We talked about the act of foot washing itself, and how it was a necessary task usually reserved for servants, and rarely done among peers. To do so was an act of humility, and a lesson for the apostles in servitude. We discussed how much Christ loves us, and how important it was for Him to show us His love by coming as a servant.

We are called to be Christ followers: to spend our lives working, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to become ever more like Him every day. He, who is the very Word of God, who was here at the forming of the earth, came to show us how to serve each other. Left to our own devices, we seek only our own happiness, and the wants and desires of this earthly body rule our minds and hearts. Once we have surrendered ourselves to Him, our “want to” changes. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we see the whole world in a different light.

It’s disconcerting to be spiritually chastened in the middle of teaching a lesson, particularly a lesson on basic servitude.. You see, I’ve been doing a lot of serving lately, And I do it willingly, but for a few days, I did so with a bad attitude. My parents are aging, and due to that, they’ve recently required quite a bit more care than I’m used to giving. Rising to prep for work and arrive at their house before 6:00 am, so that I can feed them breakfast and take care of everyone’s medical needs for the morning was novel and made me feel good for a few days. We are heading into the second month, and it has become what it is: work. I wouldn’t begrudge my parents anything they need, and I’m happy that my circumstances allow me to be at their beck and call, however, I am physically tired. Preparing their meals often looks different than what my family and I are used to, so some days it feels like I am preparing 6 meals a day. And, of course, my parents are set in their ways… they want things done the way they want them done, when they want them done.

My mom noticed my change in attitude and asked if something was wrong. No, nothing was wrong… I was thinking, “Do I really need to be cheerful every single day?” Yes… yes, I do. You see, for my parents, the need to ask for help is something that they would never choose. It makes them feel like a burden, and they don’t want to have to ask me to do anything for them, they would prefer to be able to handle everything on their own. If I enter into their house like it is a burden for me, and I understand that is something that worries them, I’m not showing them the respect that I should as their daughter.

That morning in Sunday School, every time we read a verse, I was a little more convicted by my own attitude. If the Lord of the Universe can stoop down and wash his followers’ feet, how could I begrudge caring for the parents that raised me? Not that I don’t want to do it, but I should have been doing so with a much better attitude. This is an opportunity for me to show God’s love to the two people in the world that made sure I was raised to understand Christ’s sacrifice for me, who made sure I was at Sunday School, church services, and revival services, who lived a life of integrity so that I never questioned their instructions for me, because they were no more than what they lived every day.

So, every morning and afternoon, I continue, I rise early, prepare for my day, and make my way to their house only a few minutes after I would normally just be dragging myself out of bed, and I return as many times a day as they need me. I go in to them, and take care of their needs, joking and laughing, listening to what they’ve found of interest since the last time I was here, a few hours ago. I try to take a moment every morning and remember that these times are short… this is not going to last forever, and when they’ve gone on to their eternal reward, I will look back on these times fondly. It’s a privilege to be able to care for the people who cared for me and raised me so intentionally.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 2:3-5

As my attitude has changed, I find myself looking for others to serve. It’s such a blessing to give. Give time, give money, give service. Just find someone and show them God’s love. We are the recipients of the greatest gift ever bestowed, the very Son of God came down to seek our salvation, and right now sits at the right hand of the Father as our advocate. Our gratitude alone should prompt us to seek ways to show that love to others. We never know when our small act of service will make a world of difference in someone’s life.