I know you may be reading this title and scratching your head!
Washing someone else’s feet may seem bizarre or outright disgusting to you but hear me out real quick. So many times we get caught up in our own lives and in our own problems. Don’t get me wrong I understand that position being in college it is so easy for me to put my blinders on and only focus on MY work, MY problems, MY grades and MY friends. God has been showing me more and more that I need to be pouring out into others. I need to start caring for others walk with Christ and not just my own. He has been taking me through this journey of being a person that loves on people well and walks with them through their journey and my own.So hear me out in what washing others feet looks like because I am learning along side you sis.
Why do it and what does it mean?
In both the Old Testament and New Testament there are occurrences of feet washing. It was a a traditional thing done because the people walked in very sandy areas and wore sandals and it was refreshing to have your feet washed. It was considered the job of a servant and one of importance but not done by important people. In the New Testament we see an example of Mary Magdalene in Luke 12:1-8 washing the feet of Jesus as a symbol of submission and servanthood. We can take this example and see that Mary realized that she needed to serve. Later we see in John 13 :1-20 the example set by Jesus to wash the feet of those around you. He was intentional right before the cross to serve those around Him. He didn't have to do this but he did because it was important to him to do this and to make the example. Likewise we need to make this a practice in our own lives.
Jesus could have easily and understandably been consumed with that was about to happen to him. He was about to die brutally on the cross for all of those guys and for us no one would have penalized him for being consumed with that but he wasn't he decided to serve those around him by washing their feet. Like I said earlier was the job of a servant not for a savior but in humility Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. He showed us an example of the perfect servant and also why we need to wash others feet. A foot washing is restoring to someone's life and soul.
Now that we know why. The next question is how? What does it look like modern day?
Now I am not telling you to set up a basin and start washing your friends feet. They will probably think you are super weird and they may not like that but there are other ways that we can do this in the modern day society we live in and that is simple for the everyday Christian girl. Sacrifice a night in and go and take someone to dinner that has been struggling let them know you are there for them. You can also be selfless and let people know that you are thinking of them by buying them something that reminds you of them or something you know they like something as simple as a vanilla dr.pepper. Something we can also do is not be completely consumed with our own problems and life and look up and see how someone else is doing.
Now I'm not teling you something that I don't plan to make a habit in my life.
I am praying for this community of believers that we would become servants. That through our servant hearts others would come to know who Christ is.
I love you all
through only His Marvelous Grace
-F
