In John thirteen, we have the greatest example of humility and servitude found in the Bible with, perhaps, the one exception of the Cross.  Here is the example Jesus set for us.

John 13:3-5 (ESV)
³  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

There is no way the disciples of Christ saw this coming.  They sat, no doubt, in silence, dumbstruck by what their Master was doing.  This is the one that they had seen turn water into wine, raise the dead, and even walk on water.  They knew He was the Christ, the Son of the living God.  He was the Master and they were the servants, yet, all they could do was watch as Jesus poured water into a basin, took up the towel, and began to wash their feet.  To Peter, it was simply too much.  He said, “You shall never wash my feet” (ver. 8), but, Jesus told him that if He did not wash his feet, He could have no part with Him, in other words, he could not be one of His apostles.    

What was the big deal?  Was it that serious for Peter to not allow His Master to wash his feet?  Well, it was not about the feet washing; it was about the lesson that Jesus was teaching them—the lesson of being humble and willing to serve others.  That was a critically important lesson for the apostles to learn if they were to fulfill the cause of Christ after He was gone.

Humility and servitude go hand in hand, and like the apostles, we must learn the importance of practicing both of them.  Concerning humility, James said, “Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).  Jesus gives us a stern warning about being arrogant.

Matthew 23:12 (ESV)
¹²  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Would you rather exalt yourselves, or be exalted by God?  Would you rather humble yourselves, or be humbled by God.  I think we all know that God can humble us lower than we can humble ourselves, and exalt us far higher than we can exalt ourselves.  The best course of action is to humble ourselves and let God do the exalting.

The best reason to humble ourselves is not because we are afraid of being humbled by God, but because when we do, we are imitating Christ.  Furthermore, if we truly humble ourselves like Christ, we will also serve others as He did.  The more we serve others, the more we are behaving like Christ.

Mark 10:45 (ESV)
⁴⁵  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

We have been chosen, not to be served, but to serve others.  We have been saved, not to be kings that sit in high places, but to be servants in the likeness of Christ.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.