Would I ever sign up to wash someone’s feet? My parents and siblings would probably laugh hysterically at the suggestion. It was a long running joke in our house growing up that I hated feet. I didn’t want to touch your feet, I didn’t want you to touch my feet, and I didn’t want your feet on me. You can probably guess what became a favorite source of amusement for my younger brother and sister. They definitely had an effective tool to move me off the couch when they wanted to stretch out.  

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I’ve mostly gotten over my irrational disdain for feet (motherhood will do that for you). However, the idea of washing someone else’s feet still doesn’t sound like my first choice of activity for serving others. I think I generally like to serve others. The uglier reality, though, is I only jump at the chance to serve when it’s in the ways I like to serve. This usually means it’s on my timeline and is serving out of my strengths, gifts, and talents. Feet washing is none of those things. Many things won’t make the cut when it’s left solely up to me in my own selfishness. Yet, we see Jesus in today’s verse, saying that He has modeled what serving others looks like for us through an act of service that was beneath His status as a respected Rabbi (or teacher).

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There’s a quote I love from John Piper that says, "God in eternity looked upon me, foreseeing my fallenness, my pride, my sin, and said, ‘I want that man in My family… I will pay for him to be in My family with My Son's life.’ That's love folks! That is mega, off the charts, love!" Feet washing isn’t even the greatest or hardest example of sacrificial service that God and Jesus set for us—the cross is. Jesus endures the cross, in obedience to the will of God the Father, just so we could be reconciled to God. Remember, Jesus was fully God and fully man during His time on Earth. There were moments where human Jesus wasn’t so sure about the cross. We see this when He prays before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet in humility, Jesus prays to God the Father, saying, “Not my will, but Yours” (Luke 22:42).

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That is how we’re called to love others in the body of Christ—sacrificially. Sometimes it’s going to be a big call to give financially, sacrifice our time significantly, or lay down our preferences to do something God asks of us. Sometimes it’s as “simple” as bearing with one another in love by protecting unity among our fellow believers during misunderstandings. We’re called to serve others in love in a variety of ways. If we try to limit God with our preferences for what that service looks like, we can miss out on what God can do in us while He’s using us as a tool to do something for others.

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Sometimes we just have to get humble, die to ourselves, and wash the stinky feet like Jesus did. Loving the body well while we are transformed to become more like Christ is worth it.  

Where are you serving for Impact Alaska? This is a great opportunity to serve alongside your ACF family to love our community well. Did you procrastinate? It’s not too late to get plugged into something. Check the signup links below to see which teams still need people and reach out to office@acfak.org with any questions.  

Click Here for ACF Eagle River Campus and Here for ACF NE Anchorage Campus.