The Five Love Languages of God: Acts of Service 💒

Heey Sis,

We are continuing the series of Love Languages from last year (that felt so weird to say) I can’t believe it is February already. It is the month the world publicly displays their love for their partners etc. However, keep in mind that we are first called to Love the Lord our God with all our strength, mind, and spirit and then Love our Neighbours. I do hope we can show and share the Love we have of and from Christ all year round.

The acts of service love language centres around doing activities that make life more enjoyable for the other person, such as running errands, doing food shopping, or doing house chores. Intentionality plays a key role in this love language as servitude offered correlates with knowledge of your partner/friend and their needs. Your actions should reflect an awareness of your friend/partner’s needs and what they'll appreciate. 

During the Last Supper (John 13: 1- 17) we see Jesus washing the feet of the disciples as a display of his humility and servanthood. In ancient Israel times, people’s feet would easily become filthy as they walked around in sandaled feet. According to the social customs of that time, people ate at low tables and their feet were very much evident so, feet needed to be washed before a communal meal. Sometimes the individual did this, but if one were wealthy, servants would do the washing of the feet. Washing of feet was a task that fell to the worker of the lowest position in the household. By Christ putting on an apron and taking on the task, He would have looked like a slave/servant who had been assigned to washing the feet of guests. This was an intentional act, as their feet needed to be washed before they could eat. Here, Christ offered an act that was needed and would have been appreciated. Though the disciples realised that Jesus the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet, none of them offered himself for the task. Servanthood/service was simply not on their minds. As Jesus reveals in Matthew 20:28, He came "not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many". 

By Christ putting Himself in such a lowly position, He offered an object lesson - "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" John 13:15. Here, Jesus is emphasizing attitude - having a heart of service. Jesus desires that we are willing to humble ourselves and serve others. He is looking for people who would ignore pride, position, and power to meet the needs of others in whatever capacity. 

Shortly after showing the disciples what servitude is through the washing of feet, Jesus performed His greatest and most humble acts of service. The same two hands he used to wash dirty feet were the ones that would be pierced by nails to a cross. The message here is that if the Son of God, Messiah, and King can put on a role as a lowly servant, we too should be able to put aside our pride to serve others and be intentional about it.

I do pray God gives us a heart to serve him and serve others.

Sis, If this or any of the previous posts has blessed or impacted you, please share it on your social media and tell others about it. Here is the web version of the posts to repost.

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