Thursday, September 11, 2014

The Point Is Not About Position or Dirty Feet - It's Serving And Sacrifice

My Utmost For His Highest
 
‘Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). Notice the kind of people that God brings around you, and you will be humiliated once you realize that this is actually His way of revealing to you the kind of person you have been to Him. Now He says we should exhibit to those around us exactly what He has exhibited to us.’ CHAMBERS
 
John 13:14-15 “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
 
A number of times while in Haiti, I have been asked not to do something by Haitians by virtue of the fact that I am a Director.  Carrying something when loading or unloading a truck .. for example.  Or that I should wear nice clothes all of the time because of my position. My behavior is contrary to what they imagine it should be given my “relative” importance.  That is what the disciples thought of Jesus.  That He should not wash feet.  But that was the point.  Matthew 20:28 “…. the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The disciples’ problem was that they looked at Jesus through the prism of their natural understanding.  What Jesus did just did not make sense in that context.  But from God’s perspective .. it was the fulfillment of God’s plan that had been laid out by God from the beginning of time.
 
If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be a servant of all.  1 Kings 12 tells us about Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.  He chose to lord his authority over the people and not serve them … the kingdom divided and 10 tribes formed a new nation, without him. The lesson was about servant leadership, a lesson that a friend, Charlie Dokmo, taught me when I was a new lieutenant at Fort Knox in 1976.  Over the years, I have done my best to put it in to practice. ELGIN
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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