Spiritual Leadership Principle: Leaders should serve others.
Person: Jesus
Passage: John 13: 3-17
3-6Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”
7Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.” 8Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!” Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.” 9″Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”
10-12Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” (He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
12-17Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. (Message Bible)
Jesus did not need to wash his disciple’s feet. If anything his disciples should have washed his feet. Jesus was humble and knew the importance of setting the example to his disciples. So he washed their feet. Even the feet of the person who was going to betray him. True servant hood is serving everyone no matter who they are.
It is the leader’s responsibility to set the example of servant hood. They should have a 360 degree perceptive of servant hood. They should serve the people who follow them, their peers, people above them and even their enemy’s or competition. If leaders take the example of Jesus to roll up their sleeves and serve, then the blessing of God will be upon them.
Those who serve the lowliest will be raised up. Serving others is a humbling thing for leaders but we are called to have a mantel of servant hood. In today’s culture people are looking for people who are not title driven but who have a mantel of servant hood. So let’s take the example of Jesus and serve others.
