Last week, we came to realize that some of the greatest men and women in biblical history felt unqualified to serve God, and yet they made themselves available to serve Him. Specifically, we focused our attention upon Isaiah, one of the greatest of all Old Testament Prophets, who needed to first be BROKEN over his sin and then CLEANSED from it before he could be used by God and AVALABLE to serve Him. And once again, my prayer remains that we would all apply Isaiah’s calling to our own, that we would be AVAILABLE to serve God, having first been BROKEN and CLEANSED from our own sins. Today, I want to conclude looking at the Disposition of Service.

I like to think of Service as “Life’s Greatest Calling” because this is why Jesus was “called” to leave heaven and dwell among us. Let’s be reminded of Jesus’ own words,

“For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

That’s right – He did not come to be waited upon, but to be a “waiter,” that is, to serve others. And then, after serving the multitudes throughout his earthly ministry, He paid the price for our sins on the cross.

The Apostle John records the events of Jesus’ last hours with His disciples in the Upper Room. It was during the Last Supper when,

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God…” (John 13:3).

Jesus knew where He had come from and where He was going, and if we are ever going to serve others, we must know that Jesus has redeemed us from the penalty and power of sin and that when we die, we are going to be with Him for eternity. We must realize who we are in Christ, that we have been adopted as His child into His family and that He has called us to be lights shining in a dark world by modeling His character and by serving others.

Knowing that He had come from the Father, and being confident that He would be returning to Him, Jesus,

“… got up from the meal, 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).

It was a beautiful act of humility, love, and sacrificial service. But then came His exhortation for each of us,

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you (John 13:14-15). 

For us today, it’s not about foot washing per se — it’s about serving one another. Jesus set the example, and we are to follow. And then Jesus added this note of encouragement,

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

Some of God’s richest blessings come as a result of serving others. I want to encourage each of us to embrace the principles of Jesus’ “Upside Down Kingdom” in which those who serve are the greatest in the Kingdom of God. And let’s remember that our real motivation for serving others should be “love,” just a Paul reminded the Christians throughout the Province of Galatia,

“…through love, serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

Let’s fill our basins with water, roll up our sleeves, and pick up a towel so that we can serve one another! And remember Jesus’ promise that we will be blessed if we do!