WEEK 13 | LEARN TO SERVE OTHERS

After a tough loss in the 2nd round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin basketball player Brad Davison was asked, “How do you want people to remember you when they look back on your career?”

His response was:

 

“As somebody who gave their heart and soul into trying to be a great teammate, leader, friend, and brother. Somebody who tried to do everything he could to help his team win, but to be honest, I hope basketball is not the first thing people think about when they think of me. I hope it’s an interaction that we had, or maybe a picture or an autograph or a conversation. I hope it’s bigger than basketball or just me wearing the 34 jersey. I hope that’s how my teammates see me and how my coaches view me as well. Those are the things I really value. I love the game of basketball, but I know that I am not defined by my performance or wins and losses.”

 

In the book Chop Wood and Carry Water, Joshua Medcalf wrote, “Things like winning, rebounding, or beating your opponents' records, can distract us from what is most important: the person we become on the journey.

 

Brad’s response was a living example of that quote. He knew that basketball was what he did, but it wasn’t who he was, and the most important part of his journey as a basketball player was the person he was becoming as a result of playing basketball, and he had a clear idea of the type of person who he wanted to become.

 

Many of us have dreams of being great athletes, but our ultimate goal should be to become great people, because at some point, we all retire from the game, and all we are left with are our memories and how we impacted the people around us.

 

Brad's response reminds me of the story in the Bible where the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. When they asked him this, Jesus called a little child to him and said:

 

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."

 

But what does that really mean, and what does that look like in action?

 

Just before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his time on earth was coming to an end and he was getting ready to face the cross.  He was eating dinner with his disciples when he got up from his meal, got a towel, and began washing his disciples' feet. When he was finished washing and drying all of their feet, Jesus said to them,

 

"You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 3:1-17)."

When Jesus knew he was getting ready to face the most important battle in his life, his response was to wash his disciples' feet. The message he sent to his disciples and to the rest of the world was: Learn to serve others. He even washed the feet of Judas, the disciple who betrayed him.

Every day when you wake up, look for opportunities to serve, help, and bless others. Join every team and go into every relationship thinking, "How can I help you, how can I make your life better, and how can I bring value to you and the team?"

The hard part is that we all have something inside of us that screams, "What about me?" Society praises and celebrates the elite and the best of the best. But if we focus on serving others in whatever ways we can, we can help make the world a better place, and it will fill our own lives with love, joy, and peace.

Every day we have opportunities to bless and serve others, but we let most of those opportunities pass us by because we either don't see them or we see them as burdens. Every miracle that Jesus performed for someone else, he did so while he was on his way somewhere and after being interrupted by someone.

The world is hurting. People are sad, lonely, and need a blessing or a miracle. You have the opportunity to be that blessing or miracle for the people you work with and do life with.

Every day, wake up looking for ways to bless and serve people. Look for opportunities to wash the feet of the people you work with and do life with.

THIS WEEK

1 - What kind of person do you want to be? How do you want to be remembered by your teammates and the people you do life with?

2 - How often do you serve or bless other people?

3 - What keeps you from serving or blessing other people?

4 - What can you do to find more people to serve or bless?

5 BIBLE VERSES ABOUT SERVING OTHERS

1 - "My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. What if one of you said, 'Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!?' What good is it if you don't actually give them what their body needs? In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity."
- James 2:14-17

2 - "Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices."
- Hebrews 13:16

3 - "In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven."
- Matthew 5:16

4 - "Don't withhold good from someone who deserves it, when it is in your power to do so."
- Proverbs 3:27

5 - "The crowds asked him, 'What then should we do?' He answered, 'Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.'"
- Luke 3:10-11

For a Google doc version of this devo, click here: Week 13 devotional