Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.-James 3:13-18
Someone once told me that “many people want to serve God and His Kingdom, but only as advisors.” In my capacity as a minister, I have seen this to be true in many circumstances. I often have people say “you know what you should do” and either lack the will power to implement their idea, or complain when it doesn’t happen right away or the way they desire it to happen. When it boils down to it, at least here in the US, 10 percent of the people in the church are doing the work of 100 percent of the people. And the position of Advisor is not usually helpful in that capacity.
If this offends you, I’m sorry and at the same time I’m not sorry. In the age of opinions being bandied about because of social media, where many feel they should be able to say what they want with no rebuttal whatsoever, be a foot washer. What do I mean? Consider Jesus and His Apostles on the night of the Last Supper. No one took up the servants position and washed feet. At this point, they all felt too important (if we look at the Gospels all together, they were considering their position in the coming Kingdom, even arguing about who would sit at Jesus’ right or left side when it came). And what did Jesus, the agent of creation, the Word of God do? He washed feet. In a few hours, these men would scatter from Him, one would betray Him, one would deny Him, He washed their feet. Knowing what the night would bring, and His pain and suffering that was to come, He Washed their feet.
Too often we want to have our way in the church. Instead of walking in humility and submission (which, according to Ephesians 5:21, is a sign of the Holy Spirit), we demand our own way, complain when it’s not done the way we think it should be, and try and cause division by getting people on our side. Repent, brother or sister, if this is you! You’re calling trouble on yourself that is unnecessary, and possibly fatal to your Spiritual walk! Wash feet! Be a slave of all, as Jesus was! Walk in humility and love, considering others better than yourself as Paul told us we ought to! The Kingdom needs foot washers, not advisors. Jesus washed feet. He was obedient to the Father in every way. Be like Jesus.
John 13:1-20
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
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