Have you ever been in need? Perhaps you needed a helping hand to do a chore, or a word of instruction or wisdom from someone with experience, or a listening ear from someone who understands. Maybe you've experienced a material or financial need at some time in your life. At one time or another, we all experience the need for help from another person, but most of us find it much easier to offer help than to ask for it. Yet, being in need is a crucial part of our growth in our spiritual lives.
When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He was teaching them an important lesson in servanthood. The washing was not just a matter of dirty feet, but more a matter of prideful hearts. In order to minister with humility and sensitivity, we must understand what it means to be served... what it feels like to be in need.
Sometimes when we give or help, we become full of more than joy. We become proud or boastful or in awe of our own goodness! The disciples were a bit reluctant to have Jesus wash their feet, because they suddenly became aware of their own unworthiness. They were embarrassed. Uncomfortable. Humbled. They understood what it meant to be ministered to by the Lord.
As we give and help and minister and serve, let us examine our hearts and our attitudes. Are we meeting the needs of others or our own? Are we being sensitive to their feelings? Can we use the opportunity to meet a spiritual need as well? Are we serving as Jesus served?
"For I gave you an example, that you also should do as I did to you." John 13:15
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