Diminished

How easily do you serve? How do you feel when someone gives you the dirtiest job, the smallest paycheck, or the last place in line? Most of us struggle deeply with it. We get angry. We feel frustrated. But Jesus didn’t. In fact, He volunteered for those jobs. Interesting, huh?

His secret was a simple one. The Bible says, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:3-6) Don’t skip past the first sentence in that passage, because it is the key. Jesus knew that His eternal destiny was a huge one. He knew that “the Father had put all things under his power”, and He knew that “he had come from God” and he knew that “he was returning to God”. In other words, He was secure. He knew He had nothing to lose. He knew that He would not be diminished by serving other people, even people who were infinitely less than Him. Or to put it another way, He wasn’t afraid of being diminished. Are you?

Listen, friends, if you know Jesus as your Savior then you couldn’t possibly be diminished. You are a Son or Daughter of the God of all the Universe. He knows your name. He calls you His own. He carries your picture in His wallet and posts it on His Facebook page. So what do you have to lose? Go ahead and do the dirty job. Go ahead and clean the bathrooms, wash the dishes, mow the lawn, or flip the hamburger. You’re not in a competition to prove that you are valuable or worthy. You already are both of those things. So be free to get down on your knees and wash your brother’s feet. You might be surprised at who you find right next to you.