Too Tired To Serve?
by Joe Leavell
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
We’re all busy and have a million things on our minds. I get it. Some seasons of life can be more difficult than others and we are all busy. But let me ask you a question. How would you spend your valuable time if you knew that this was your last night on earth? Where would you go? What would you do? What would you eat and who with?
Jesus was about to die one of the cruelest deaths imaginable on the cross, take the sins of the world upon Himself, and return to the Father victorious over death. He had every right to be tired and overwhelmed. Everyone would have been able to relate if he had used His coming agony as a reason to be cranky and demand people be quiet and leave him alone. He needed time to prepare His heart and mind for what was about to come. We wouldn’t think it strange if training His disciples in service was not on his mind.
Like an employee slacking off the last ten to fifteen minutes of his shift, Jesus could have given himself some ‘chill time’ before he went to the cross rather than spending that last Passover supper with His disciples. In addition, as King of Kings, Jesus had every right to be offended that His disciples were fighting over who would be the greatest rather than serving Him as their Master!
What did He do instead?
Frankly, Jesus did not have to come to earth in the first place. As King of the Universe and the Creator of Heaven and Earth, no one forced Him to take on the form of a slave or go to the cross. And yet, because of His great love for us, He chose to lay aside the glory and esteem of heaven in order to humbly die a cruel, criminal’s death for you and for me.
What was the Lord of All found doing the night that He was betrayed and arrested? He was pouring His life into those He loved by teaching them and serving them by washing their dusty and dirty feet. He even washed the feet of Judas, the one who did the betraying! He chose not only to wash their feet but to eat with them, teach them, and pray for them.
Why Did Jesus Serve?
Why did Jesus spend His last night serving His disciples? It wasn’t because of duty. As their Master, it was their duty to serve Him, not the other way around! Nor, did Jesus wash their feet out of guilt, reasoning no one else was doing it, and so, he supposed it had to be Him. He did not angrily plop down and start washing their feet because He resented their lack of service. He did not serve because He felt pressured, and was afraid that His disciples might not think He was spiritual enough if He did not do it. He did not do it because one of the disciples had dared to ask Him to do so. He served by washing their feet because of His unfailing love and desire to teach His disciples the heart of service to one another.
“The fuller the ear is of rice-grain, the lower it bends.”
Jesus bent down and served, and ultimately gave His life because He was full of love (John 15:13).
Following Jesus’ Example
After He finished washing their feet, Jesus said these words,
“Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, or is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
What is your reasoning when you are too tired to serve others? Been too busy? Too much work? Have too much to prepare for? Too many bad things have happened to you? Are we offended that more people don’t serve us? What goes through your mind when you struggle to die to your own wants and serving your spouse and your kids? What is it you use to rationalize not serving your church and your community? Are you waiting for them to earn it? Are you waiting for someone else to step in and volunteer, so you don’t have to serve?
The Right Time To Say, “No.”
At the same time, there are legitimate and right reasons and seasons for saying, “No.” I know many moms with small children who wish they could actively serve more in their churches and the reality is that they are already serving others at capacity.
Others serve tirelessly in their churches and are the first ones to volunteer for additional responsibilities when they should decline them. In serving in so many capacities they take opportunities from others to even see the need to step up and serve. At best, they can serve as mentors to assisting others in taking on responsibilities of their own.
In each case, the heart of the person is to serve and it is simply a wisdom issue of knowing where and how in their season of life.
Some have mistakenly been led to be believe that exhausting oneself and neglecting their families means that they are right with God. However, God never calls us believers to disobey God’s Word in one area ins order to obey Him in another. You cannot use serving the church as an excuse to neglect your spouse and children. Neither can you hide behind them in order to avoid serving entirely.
This may be a right time to do some heart checking and see if we reflect our Savior’s example and His heart for serving others. How are we spending our limited time and energy? We serve, not out of duty, or guilt, or because we’ve been pressured, but because we have a love that reflects the love of Christ and we desire to follow His example in serving others, even when we don’t really feel like it.
