In John 13, Jesus is sharing His last meal with His disciples and shocks them all by His actions before they begin to eat. Verses 3-5 share this: "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he 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."
Jesus had a complete understanding of His position in relation to God and what God was going to do, and His immediate reaction was to get up and serve. I don't believe this is written this way by accident. It reveals the model of servant leadership that Christ set for us and the example that we are called to follow. When we begin to gain a glimpse of God and His work in us-even if it is a small glimpse-it should spur us to get up and get to work as well.
That act of serving extends beyond the church and the local & global mission fields. As a father & husband my calling is to serve my wife and children and the rest of my family. I am to serve my neighbor and the people in our city that are in need. I am to serve with the resources I have been blessed with including money, time and energy. Most importantly, I am called to serve God no matter where He sends me or what He asks me to do.
This isn't an obligation for any of us. It's a response forged out of love for God and the confidence that we will one day be returning to Him.
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