JESUS ENCOURAGES THROUGH TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY

There are things in life that just seems gross or strange to us. For instance I can stand the smell of a small child, baby really, that decides to leave a "gift" in his/her diaper. The smell just does something to me. It becomes even worse if I have to change that child's diaper. When my son was at the age of wearing diapers I always had the fear that he would leave that gift for me without me catching the warning whiff & then I would pick him up only to discover a substance running down my arm of all over my shirt. Thankfully this never happened to me, but there were time when I was in Target with him & got a whiff of the warning smell. If you have children still in diapers or hope to one day have children, then here is my advice to you for changing that diaper with the "gift" in it. I call it the "t-shirt over the nose" trick. Just simply apply the collar of your shirt over you nose, make sure it is secure, then dive in a take care of business. Men, if you can master this move & get your child clean in under 3 minutes, then your wife will see you as her hero when you volunteer every time to change the dirty diaper.
In John 13 we find Jesus doing more of the most unusual, dirty things ever. Jesusgets up from the table where he is sitting with the disciples, takes off his robe, wraps it around himself and then proceeds to wet a cloth in a basin of water and wash the disciples feet. You see, washing a person's feet was meant for the lowliest of servants. The air was hot and dry which made the land dry and dusty. Not everyone wore sandals and even if you did your feet would still get sweaty and dirty.
For Jesus to do this made him a new kind of leader. A leader that was willing to serve the ones who followed him. Jesus knew that the day was getting near when he would be arrested and crucified. This was his way of preparing the disciples for what they were about to go through. Through the foot washing Jesus was showing the disciples the full extent of his love which he knew they would understand after he had died. On this day he loved them so much that he was willing to get on the dusty floor and wash their dirty feet. He was willing to serve them. In a few days he would love them so much that he would die on a cross for them. Not only the disciples, but everyone.
In our lives there are times when we can't see what is up ahead. Actually we never know what is going to happen tomorrow or even later on today. The disciples were uncertain about what was coming in the days ahead. Jesus had been telling them that he would be arrested, die and rise again, but only he knew the time. The disciples didn't. Jesus, though, didn't want to disciples to focus on what was yet to come, he wanted them top focus on serving others. "And since, I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." (John 13:14-15) Things happen, lives crumble, and problems will always come our way. Jesus doesn't want you to focus on all that is going on around you or to you, but to stay focused on Him. And when you stay focused on Him you will want to help or serve others because when you do your thoughts come off of you and get back onto Jesus because you are doing what he wants you to do.
Jesus washing the disciples feet
1. Jesus loves you: He loved the disciples enough to wash their feet and get his hands very dirty. He
                               loved you enough to be severely beaten and die on a cross so that you could
                               spend eternity with Him.
2. When in doubt, follow Jesus: When things happen in your life that cause you to take you eyes off
                                                    of Jesus, follow what he did by serving others. This will bring you
                                                     back to following him & then we grow closer to him.
3. Jesus wants you to
    choose and trust Him: When uncertainty comes Jesus wants you to trust and follow him because
                                         it will strengthen your faith. Then as you grow in Jesus those times
                                         become easier to go through.
Remember this one last thing. Jesus washed the feet of all 12 disciples. Meaning, he washed the feet of the one who would betray him, Judas. Jesus served even the one who would turn him over to be killed. We must do the same because Jesus ti follow him and wash one another's feet. We must serve those who may hate us, lie about us and even betray us. His love is greater than all those things. So my question to you is, Whose feet have you washed today?