Jesus says real leaders, great leaders, serve. It's in line with His other teachings of the first are last, the greatest are least -- leaders are servants. How do we serve as leaders? What difference can this make in
our mission and in our people?
I recall a
time when I realized that ministry was going to be messy. You may laugh, but I
must have missed most of the Gospels and Jesus’ interaction with His disciples,
or Paul’s leadership in the churches. There is nothing but ups and downs,
messes and rescues, lessons on lessons. But, I’m not much for messy. I have
always loved a good clean home, smelling of Pledge and bleach and Yankee Candles, with a faint
scent of clean laundry, because it’s all been put away. Surely if you led
really well, ministry could be a “clean house” that everyone enjoyed. Jesus in
John 13 shows us that ministry and leading well is about ultimate service and
getting really dirty.
I invite you to read Jn. 13:1-7 and then consider
the following.
Jesus shows
us that ministry means you love deeply. God had chosen those twelve men to be
Jesus’ disciples. He loved them and He felt that they belonged to Him. They were
His own. And He showed them the full extent of His love. The same is true for
us. Who has God given you to lead this season? How are you loving them? What
would it look like to show them the full extent of your love?
Jesus shows
us that leaders in ministry that are compelled by love wash feet. They serve
those that God has given to them. It takes love and puts it into action. True
leaders serve.
Jesus shows
us that leaders, knowing the place God has given them, anointed for this season for these
people, in Christ as He was in the Father, are comfortable taking on the
lowest, basest form of service: washing feet. The servants who washed feet in
Jesus’ day were the lowest slaves. They had the dirtiest, lowest job touching
people’s feet and cleaning them. It was a messy work with taking road-worn
shoes off and caring for all kinds of feet. They splashed water on them, making
the dirt of that day’s life and journey into a splishing mud that got all over
them as it was cleaned from the one they were serving. The newly cleaned feet
were dried and cared for, clean and ready for those next steps that person
would take. The slave was left covered in someone else’s dirt and mud.
For us when
we wash feet, we serve those we love with humility, sincerity, intimacy, and
vulnerability. Just like Christ did in wrapping a towel around His waist (v.4),
we are told in 1 Pet. 5:5 to clothe ourselves with humility towards one
another. The Greek word picture is like a slave’s apron wrapped around us,
closest to our most intimate selves where no one else can see it. No glory, no
recognition from the world or even from those we serve. Are we such servants
that our service reaches to the innermost parts of who we are as leaders? Are
we ok if we never get recognized for our humble service? Is there a situation, decision, or relationship that you are not approaching with full humility?
Like Christ,
you serve those you love with sincerity, because who can fake a slave’s apron,
or posture, or attitude? And you have to be sincere to serve those you love
with intimacy as you uncover their feet and your hands address the dirt of
someone else’s journey. You are the one who approaches their ministry worn
shoes and takes time to take them off. You will do this with a variety of feet
that have traveled a variety of ministry places. And as you pour
Jesus-as-the-center, scripture, love, listening, truth, encouragement, help,
comfort, and better vision on their feet, their ministry mud will get all over
you. Are you being sincere in your care of your people and your mission, or are you expecting people to shape up and get with the program? Have you taken time to touch others, examine the dirt of your ministry that they have trod, and pour something refreshing, healing, and needed over their journey?
You serve
those you love with vulnerability. Like Christ, you will be vulnerable as you get on your
hands and knees, willing to touch the messiness of life and ministry. It’s a
posture of bowing, getting near and close to a part of them not many people
become acquainted with. They will feel vulnerable, like Peter did, as you wash
the feet of those that have never been loved that way, who were not ready for
the fullness of that service today, and whose feet are unprepared—feeling just
a little too messy or dirty or unkempt. Yet you touch, wash, serve, love. Who
couldn’t use the touch of the Savior in the midst of the journey in ministry?! Are you being vulnerable or distant and running ahead? Are you here, present in the moment, knowing those who serve under your leadership and really getting in o ministry with them? Are you ready for everyone to get a bit uncomfortable? (My friend Lindsay says that ministry is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.)
And one more
thought; you realize He washed Judas’ feet too? Even though He knew the outcome
of that relationship, He still showed Judas the full extent of His love with
humility, sincerity, intimacy, and vulnerability. We may not have Judas’ among
those we are serving, but there are people that are hard to serve. I mean hard. to. serve. Look to
Christ. He understands and He calls you to His
way, even with the Judas’ of life.
When you
have finished, you will dry their ministry feet that you have loved and cared
for so that they can be ready for the next steps they will take in ministry, with you. You
may look down and notice your ministry apron is very dirty. You can rejoice and
take it to Christ, the consummate Clean One Who took on our dirt too. For leaders, here's the gospel: we can take on their dirt of ministry, even awful dirt, knowing that Christ, Who was spotless, took on our sin. And He took it on when we were not with Him or for Him, but against Him. Surely, then, we can wash the feet of our own brothers and sisters who are with us and for us and in Christ too. As we follow His example in love and feet washing, we will find deep resonance with our own Savior and true joy as we are fellowshipping with Him in the very things He did.
Christ shared
a blessing with those men who were then ready for next steps in ministry. He
said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should
also wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I
have done for you…Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do
them.” (v. 14-15, 17) Who doesn’t want the ultimate blessing promised by Christ
Himself that if we know these things and do them, we will be blessed? What’s
the blessing? Jesus invites us to grab a towel and some water and find out.
It doesn’t
feel like the world’s brand of leadership with accolades, glory, and being
served. Good thing, because it’s not. It’s the better way. And it blesses and
changes those you serve. After washing their feet, that’s when Jesus gives them
the new command: Love one another because this will show you belong to Me and
this will reflect Me to the world. What’s interesting is that whenever we as
leaders are compelled by love to serve and wash feet, those we touch go and do
likewise. We follow Christ’s example and in turn, they do as He and we have
done. If we want to reflect Christ to the world it will be by being leaders
that show the full extent of our love by washing feet.
Want to hear a story? Ok, a quick story. I remember once there was someone I was leading, and it happened that I was inserted as a leader right into the midst of their chaos. When I listened and began to uncover what was going on, I realized that while they were experiencing some trials of their own, they were definitely adding fuel to the fire. They were being demanding, suspicious, unwilling to make peace, unwilling to go the second mile, harsh, non-communicative, and arrogant. The other side of the chaos was just as faulty and messy. Having learned along the way that leaders are servants, by God's grace movement in my own soul, I tied on my apron, expecting to get very dirty. Dirty I got. I took time to untie those ministry sandals by listening and asking questions I was pretty sure I knew the answer to, but he needed to be heard. He needed to communicate. Washing his feet meant I listened to some pretty ridiculous and irrational things, but I responded with "I hear you. I see. I can understand that feeling. I get that more clearly now. I receive that from you." Water, water, water. I invited him to settle in and share. I asked about the ministry that was still happening to God's glory, and he shared the story. We rejoiced! I asked where Christ had been at work in his life, and he shared. We affirmed and praised Christ's good work. Then I asked, as I handled those weary feet, what Christ's humility in him would look like in this situation. The vulnerability required in that response caused him to almost "take his feet out of the water." But, he responded, and in sincerity and vulnerability of my own, I helped shape his response. An hour and forty minutes later, he walked away, with clean feet, ready for new steps in ministry. I was covered in ministry mud, and totally overwhelmed at how Christ showed up. I stood there filthy, rejoicing in Christ, and reveling in peace. Blessing abounded. I did this because Christ loved me, washed me clean, gave the example, and I had had other leaders wash my own feet.
Some you
will need to ask God what the water looks like. How do you wash away the
ministry dirt?
Some you will need to ask God for His heart, for they are your Judas'.
Some you
will need to praise God for, because His blessing is apparent after you have
served and served them.
Some you
will need to praise God for because they are washing others feet and Christ is
being reflected to the world.
Just another seed of my faith,
Ginny
