“So He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him" (John 13: 4-5).
During a recent business travel, my flight was delayed for three hours. Such times lends itself to cleaning out my phone messages, emails and finishing a good book. This time I was finishing up Truett Cathy’s book Doing Business the Chick-fil-A Way. As founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy exemplified the servant leadership model that our Lord and Savior Jesus was. In John 13: 4-5, Jesus modeled before His disciples who He is and what He wants to see in each of the disciples. Jesus’s ways at that time was looked upon as out of the ordinary. Jesus modeled the Father’s heart and way of service. He took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around His waist. It was after these two postures that He began to pour water into a basin, washed His disciples’ feet and dried their feet with towel.
The two postures Jesus took reveal principles for servant leadership. Effective leadership requires we “take off our outer clothing”. This is similar to the molting process butterflies go through. Through a series of shedding, the butterfly sheds its old skin and embraces its new life. Scientists have been able to study the gruesome process of molting with all the interactions taking place. Once the butterfly goes through molting, nothing can stand in its way of flight. Each stoke of flight, takes the butterfly to higher heights. My encouragement to us brothers and sisters, is to embrace the molting just as much as the new life. Let’s take off every limitation. No matter where you may be in your walk with God; whether molting or new life, one thing is certain; God is with you and for you. He has promised He will never leave you. Give God permission to hold your hands. His grip and hold are tender and loving. He will continuously manifest His presence to you always. He is that faithful.
In the second posture, Jesus wraps a towel around His waist. This reveals a mindset and attitude towards God, others and self. Philippians 2:6-7, gives the exact pulse of this mindset, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Jesus served His disciples with everything He was. His love for them motivated Him to serve. Beloved, brothers and sisters, may this be our constant pursuit that the towel ministry mindset will grow and bear much fruit in us as Christ’s ambassadors. This brings glory to our God.
Here at Oasis Focus Inc., we are doing our part in partnership with fellow co-laborers to reach a desperate world with a living hope in Christ Jesus. Thank you for your partnership, together our Lord’s name will be lifted high and souls will be drawn into the Kingdom. We are humbled by your support. Our analytics show that just this year alone (January to April), we have had 44,713 unique site visitors. We are blown away by all God is doing. We anticipate with grounded hope, greater harvest of souls as we seek to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ! God Bless you!
For The Cause of Christ,
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
During a recent business travel, my flight was delayed for three hours. Such times lends itself to cleaning out my phone messages, emails and finishing a good book. This time I was finishing up Truett Cathy’s book Doing Business the Chick-fil-A Way. As founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy exemplified the servant leadership model that our Lord and Savior Jesus was. In John 13: 4-5, Jesus modeled before His disciples who He is and what He wants to see in each of the disciples. Jesus’s ways at that time was looked upon as out of the ordinary. Jesus modeled the Father’s heart and way of service. He took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around His waist. It was after these two postures that He began to pour water into a basin, washed His disciples’ feet and dried their feet with towel.
The two postures Jesus took reveal principles for servant leadership. Effective leadership requires we “take off our outer clothing”. This is similar to the molting process butterflies go through. Through a series of shedding, the butterfly sheds its old skin and embraces its new life. Scientists have been able to study the gruesome process of molting with all the interactions taking place. Once the butterfly goes through molting, nothing can stand in its way of flight. Each stoke of flight, takes the butterfly to higher heights. My encouragement to us brothers and sisters, is to embrace the molting just as much as the new life. Let’s take off every limitation. No matter where you may be in your walk with God; whether molting or new life, one thing is certain; God is with you and for you. He has promised He will never leave you. Give God permission to hold your hands. His grip and hold are tender and loving. He will continuously manifest His presence to you always. He is that faithful.
In the second posture, Jesus wraps a towel around His waist. This reveals a mindset and attitude towards God, others and self. Philippians 2:6-7, gives the exact pulse of this mindset, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Jesus served His disciples with everything He was. His love for them motivated Him to serve. Beloved, brothers and sisters, may this be our constant pursuit that the towel ministry mindset will grow and bear much fruit in us as Christ’s ambassadors. This brings glory to our God.
Here at Oasis Focus Inc., we are doing our part in partnership with fellow co-laborers to reach a desperate world with a living hope in Christ Jesus. Thank you for your partnership, together our Lord’s name will be lifted high and souls will be drawn into the Kingdom. We are humbled by your support. Our analytics show that just this year alone (January to April), we have had 44,713 unique site visitors. We are blown away by all God is doing. We anticipate with grounded hope, greater harvest of souls as we seek to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ! God Bless you!
For The Cause of Christ,
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
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