‘Serve one another humbly in love.’
Galatians 5:13 NIV
Before He went to the cross, the Bible says that Jesus ‘took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him’ (John 13:4-5 NIV). In those days, feet would need to be washed regularly because of the dust and dirt they were walking through. This unpleasant task would have been the job of a servant, but Jesus humbled Himself and took that role in order to show His love to others. Then He said, ‘I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you…Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them’ (vv.15-17 NIV). Jesus wants us to do the same. We might not need to wash feet in order to serve others, but we can serve and show love in other ways, whether that’s at the office, school, a lecture theatre, or at home. We can serve others by helping them out practically, being available to listen when they’re going through a challenging time, or encouraging someone when they’ve done a great job. When we humble ourselves and serve others, we’re showing God’s love to them. The Bible says: ‘Serve one another humbly in love.’ Serving others isn’t always the easy thing to do. We might have other ways we want to spend our time. But we need to follow the example Jesus set if we want to become more like Him. We’re not called to serve others constantly and leave no time for anything else. Jesus often left the crowds and spent time alone with God. But when we see an opportunity to serve someone, let’s take it. What Now? Whenever you’re around people today, look for opportunities to serve them.
