“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” (John 13:3-5 NKJV)
Your eyes did not deceive you. The title is the same as yesterday, but the story and Scriptural lesson is different. In the same neighborhood where we lived with the multi-functional, multicultural gas stove, I had a best friend that lived a few houses down on the other side of the street. He was the youngest of three boys, and while he was the shortest of the three, he was still much taller than me. His oldest brothers worked with their father in the family owned construction building. It was rare that I went inside my friend’s house. But on one of those few occasions he was not quite ready; still dressing. He was looking for a pair of jeans. He goes into the laundry room off of the kitchen. It was a pretty good size laundry room. Actually it was quite large for the time. And even the fact that they had their own washer and dryer put them at the top of the “haves” in a neighborhood occupied by many “have nots.” I watched my friend as he looked for a pair of jeans. On the floor, and I kid you not, there were several pair of jeans. If the three brothers were not so tall, I would have asked if I could have one. They would never miss one pair. Did you form a picture in your mind; multiple pairs of jeans on the floor and a modern washer and dryer in the same room? Perhaps the boys were “too busy” to wash their own clothes and they just left them there for their mother to do. Here is where the repeat title comes in and it will be followed by a lesson. The title again: “It’s There, But You Have To Use It!
Here’s the lesson; a twofold lesson. First, when you see something around the house that needs to be done, help out. Pick up that fallen leaf that was tracked into the house. Put the dishes in the dishwasher right next to the dishwasher. Dust the dusty table. Hang up your own jacket that you just placed on the church for a minute, rather than proclaiming, “I was going to do that.” Your ability to help out in many cases, unless it demands some special technological skill or knowledge that you lack, guess what? It’s there. It’s in you! It’s there, but, you just have to use it. (Share this paragraph with other adults and even the children in your house. I’m meddling, right? You are probably saying, “You can’t do that!” Oh well, too late.)
Second, when you see an opportunity to do some work for the Lord and you know that you have the ability to do it, don’t wait or leave it for someone else! This tenet ranges from being a good steward of your church building, giving a strong testimony that will help free someone from false teaching, and sharing the duty of being a missionary for Jesus. You have knowledge regarding the work of God in your life and you are accumulating more knowledge about the Scriptures every week! You will get some more today, at church! But when you get it; when you hide it in your heart, remember the title above. “It’s There, But You Have To Use It!” Jesus did so in the text above, washing His disciples’ feet, and He used His loving, serving character, even to a greater degree when He served us by being our atonement on an Old rugged cross for you…and for me! Be blessed!
“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King