21 Days of Prayer - John 13 - Servants

As we are journeying through these 21 Days of Prayer, I trust that you have been open to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Together we are reading the Gospel of John, and today we come us to chapter 13. This is a passage of scripture tells the story of Jesus washing His disciples feet. It is a timeless example of what it means to be a servant.

When I think about being a servant, I am reminded of a story about George Washington. Let me pass it along to you. “There was a bleak and cold day in which George Washington stepped out of his headquarters. It was cold so he drew on his great coat, turned up his collar and pulled his hat down to shield his face from the cold, blowing wind. He walked down the road to where the soldiers were fortifying a camp and no one recognized this tall muffled man who was in fact the commander of the army.”

“He came across a group of soldiers who were under the command of a corporal. They were building a breast work of logs and the corporal, all filled with himself as being important and superior, kept on barking orders. ‘Up with it,’ he cried. ‘Now altogether push!’ They were trying desperately to push this final log up on top of the crest. Each time they tried just at the last moment, the thing would fall back. They were exhausted. The corporal would again say, ‘Up with it! What ails you? Up with it!’ The men would tug again and again and the log came crashing down because they weren’t quite strong enough to do it. Finally, the third time when he starts barking at them, Washington himself goes up to them and exerts all his strength to push the log and it falls into place.”

“The exhausted men were about to thank this unknown soldier and at that point he turned to the corporal and said, ‘Why don’t you help your men with the heavy lifting when they need another hand?’ The corporal replied, ‘Don’t you see that I’m a corporal?’ Washington said, ‘Indeed,’ as he opened up his coat and revealed his uniform, ‘I’m the Commander-in Chief. The next time you have a log too heavy for your men to lift, send for me!’”

What strikes me about both the story of George Washington and Jesus’ actions in John 13 is how willing the person of authority is willing to serve. We call it servant leadership. Jesus modeled this for us so beautifully. He not only washed His disciples’ feet, but He also by died for us. He was so sure of His value to the Father that He was confident to serve.

As you go through this day, I dare you to serve. Be willing to bless your family. Surprise your friends. Go out of your way to do something that will impact someone else. Jesus shows us that we can be confident in our serving because of God’s great love for us. We have no need to prove we are the best. We can simply strive to serve the best.