“14 If I then, your Lord and Master,
have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye
should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he
that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” -John 13-12-17
As you progress in life (both spiritual and physical), you begin
to polarize yourself to the Biblical truths that were manifested by Jesus
Christ, or you gravitate to the world (what is the world? See 1 John 2:16). If you trend toward Biblical truths you will
find yourself becoming less and less like the world, caring less and less about
the world, and ceasing to define yourself among their standards. This type of growth is not always quick and
easy, it can often be quite painful, and as difficult as this progression may
or may not be; it’s necessary that you draw nigh to Jesus. Jesus in your life will produce a wonderful, peaceful,
content, happy, joyful, stress reduced, complete, wholesome, and holy life,
while here. If you do not desire that,
then feel free to do whatever you please.
The above text is a singular Biblical example of a basic principle in the
scriptures that contradicts a great majority of the teaching that you will find
in this world. It serves to further
illustrate that the Bible will take us away from the world and into a life of
righteousness.
Jesus Christ was the Son of God.
He was the greatest person to ever walk this earth. Moreover, he could command the sea, heal the
sick, and raise the dead; if ever there was a man that was worth of praise,
honor, and glory, it was Jesus. The
disciples were not worthy, they were not highly esteemed, they were not the
“best and the brightest;” the world did not praise them for their talents and
Jesus did not call them because of their intelligence. By the world’s standards, Jesus should be exalted
and the disciples abased, but that was not so. Jesus came to serve, to serve God and to
serve his fellowman. He died for you and
me. He lived the example of how we
should exalt one another and not ourselves, and on the eve of his death he
stooped down to wash his disciple’s feet, leaving a powerful “example” of a
basic principle of servitude and how we ought to live in this world as
Christians. This gesture of humility, of
servitude; this is the example that Jesus left, and the lesson he taught with
his life. Now contrast that with the
teachings and testimonies of the world today.
Jesus said that “If ye know these
things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
How many commercials do you see on TV broadcasting this message? How many billboards? How many magazines, sports writers, news
anchors, and college professors? The
clarion call of the world is happy are ye if ye do what’s best for you. Happy are ye if you indulge yourself; eat,
sleep, and rise up to play. When you
take a step back and really look around, do you not see a lot of people who are
whole heartily embracing this ME, ME, ME theology? Of those people, how many are happy? Then look once again, at a few, a very few group
of individuals following after the teachings of a man called Jesus, who left an
example to serve and……they are HAPPY!
They are filled with joy, love, peace, and contentment. These are not those that wish to be masters
of their own lives, but those that have accepted that they are a servant to
all, and to Jesus first of all. Imagine
a household where everyone serves as Jesus served. Imagine a church where everyone serves as
Jesus served, imagine a country where everyone serves as he served; imagine a
world where everyone serves as Jesus served.
Imagine if we followed his example.
Do you think it would be different?
Do you think it would be better?
We would not be fussing over who has or has not “paid their fair
share.” We would not be killing one
another because of skin color. We are
all so busy trying to determine who is right and who is wrong, and we forget
the words in red. We forget that Christ
called his people to serve, and those who serve are happy. The ME theology that the world endorses only
serves to divide, and those seeking power use it as a weapon to gain power, by getting
the most ME’s in their corner they get to be at the top of the hill. Jesus’s teaching undermines this entire
system and cuts to the core of mankind’s need, and that need is simple.
We need a Savior, we need Jesus.
When you lay aside your own agenda and look to him, then and only then
can you be truly happy. Happiness is in
service, not being served; that is a basic principle of the scripture that is
opposite the teaching of the world.
