Looking to serve

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22)

In Bob Goff’s unique 2012 book Love Does, the author shares about how he became bored with the Bible study in which he was involved. Goff convinced the group to start calling the group a “Bible doing” instead of a “Bible study,” and to focus on living out Jesus’ commands instead of just talking about them. While I cringe at the notion of becoming bored by a Bible study, I appreciate Goff’s insistence that God’s Word is not just to be studied, but also obeyed. Jesus himself said this at the end of the Sermon on the Mount when he said that what differentiates the wise person from the foolish person is that the wise person puts his words into practice (Matthew 7:24-27). And as James wrote, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
 
This past Sunday, I preached on John 13:1-17, where Jesus shows His disciples what love is by washing their feet. In those days, walking in sandals on dirty and smelly roads left feet in rough shape, and washing feet was reserved for the lowest of servants. As Jesus washes their feet, he tells them to follow His example: “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” (John 13:14–15). If there were ever a passage that would be a great candidate for a “Bible doing,” it's this one. What would it look like for you to enter the various environments of your life – your home, your workplace, your community, your church – laying down your own concerns and looking to follow Jesus’ selfless example of service?

I will let you prayerfully consider following Jesus’ example would look like in most of your environments. In the church, however, it could look like this:


Of course, the reality is that following Jesus is not as simple as “just do it.” If that were the case, we would only need the law and not a Savior. The truth is that we are self-centered sinners bound up by our fears, needs, and pride, and even our service to others often comes ironically from a needy or proud place. But for those of us who have trusted Jesus for forgiveness and have received His Holy Spirit, the call is to lay down our lives and follow Him, trusting that He sees our service and will reward us (Matthew 6:1-4). How can you follow Jesus’ example of servant love today?