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By In John 15:12, Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (ESV). God loves each of us, and He wants us to live lives that honor Him. He wants us to show the world who He is and be His hands and feet. We cannot do that without love. To help us understand what love should look like, He tells us to love as He has loved us. But what does loving as He loved us look like? Jesus is not asking us to love others according to the world’s definition of love. Love, in this case, is not about warm and fuzzy feelings. He wants us to mimic His character, and one way we can show Jesus’s character is by serving humbly.
Jesus showed humility when he washed the disciples’ feet. “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”(John 13: 3-5 – ESV). Jesus, our king, washed the disciples’ feet. That was a significant and humble act. During this timeframe in history, feet were pretty dirty and not a job you would expect someone like Jesus to perform. This would be something that most people would consider beneath them. Yet, Jesus did this for the disciples.
I have had the privilege of meeting some amazing women through a housing ministry that helps families get back on their feet by providing safe housing. Some residents are former addicts, others are fighting to get their children back, and others may just be struggling financially. Each resident comes to them in a tough situation, and the ministry helps to restore them.
One resident I have become friends with commented about seeing the program director walking across the courtyard with a plunger. She said she could not believe someone like her would be doing the “dirty” work. Being seen with a plunger could be considered beneath many people; this is something that would be delegated to someone else. Yet this director illustrated love by humbly serving those in the ministry’s care. That moment helped my friend be all in for what was offered through this program. It allowed her to feel comfortable and loved where she was, and that simple act and many other acts of love have helped turn my friend’s life around. Simple acts of love and humble servitude have helped her go from living on the streets to having a home to raise her children, a job, and a college education.
The world will tell us that some jobs are beneath us and some people aren’t worthy or lovable. Yet, if we look at Jesus’s life, we can see that he did not share those thoughts. Jesus showed kindness and reached out to those who were considered less than during His time – lepers, tax collectors, and women. Society did not value these people during this period in history, but Jesus saw them for who they were. He knew they were each created in God’s image and valued them. He loved them.
One of my favorite songs is called “Do Something” by Matthew West. In the song, he talks about all the needs he sees around him that are being ignored. He says that he shakes his fists at heaven and asks, “God, why don’t You do something?” He said, “I did, yeah, I created you.” God created each of us to live lives that further His kingdom and share His love with those around us. When we use the lens of the Bible rather than the world’s, we start to see others as beautiful and worthy creations. When we recognize others as someone created in God’s image and loved by God, we start to realize that they are worthy of our love, too. They are worthy of us to humbly serve them.
How can you serve humbly and show love to others right where you are? What tasks might be considered beneath you by some but would mimic Jesus to others? Maybe you could serve a meal at a homeless shelter. Maybe you could let someone else take the spotlight and be in charge of a role you usually perform. Maybe you could take someone a meal or help them with chores around their house. Maybe you could spend time chatting with the residents in a nursing home. Maybe you could notice a need around you and meet it.
When you act and choose to serve those around you, remember the word “humbly.” Serve because you are called to make a difference. Serve because you are sharing God’s love. Make sure your heart is in the right place, and you are not serving to be seen. 1 Kings 8:61 says, “And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God” (NIV). When your heart is fully committed to God, you are serving because He flows through you, not because you want credit or are checking the boxes of a good Christian. You are serving because you see others as beautiful creations who deserve love, and God moves you to serve.
There are so many ways to show love. I encourage you to make an effort to see the people around you, really see them, because when you take notice of others, you will find ways to be the hands and feet of God.
