Just Do It

 

Nike’s slogan “Just Do It!” has been around since 1987. However, I want you to know that Jesus said the essence of this 2000 years earlier: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 17:17). In other words, Jesus said, “If you want to be my servant—then just do the things I do.”

When Jesus said this, he was at the end of his earthly life, and he knew the end was near. He wanted to communicate the most important things to his followers. Chief among those things was what his disciples would do after he was gone. How would they represent him?

A person’s last words are powerful. I remember my last words with my father and his last words to me. I had just spent a week with him, but as I returned home, he worsened. My sister told me that he was going fast but that he was expecting me to come back. I thought about trying to get to California, but I decided to have my last words with him on the phone vs. not having any at all. We talked as he was weak but very coherent, but as we came to the end of the conversation. He said, “I love you, son,” and I responded, “I love you, daddy.” Then I told him to go home—go to your heavenly home, and I will follow you soon.” He went very fast after that.

Here in John 13 are Jesus’ last words and actions. Unannounced, Jesus demonstrated humility by washing his disciples’ feet. There were dirty feet, and no one else wanted to wash them, so he picked up the towel and set about the task. Jesus is God, and knowing what was ahead, he deserved to be waited on and treated with honor, but he, without resentment, did what needed to be done—that is, strength and humility.

Humility cannot be experienced in the forest by yourself but only in interaction with others. Humility can only be experienced through service. That is why Jesus said, “Just do it!” “Do what I have done—to each other! We don’t pick and choose whom we serve—we serve whomever God puts in our path. Some may be more lovely than others, but humility does not reject. The Lord washed all their feet! Jesus lived out humility, and he demonstrated it is possible to overcome pride. 

Jesus hated the pride that pretends to be humble. He wants the real thing. If we want authenticity, then let us strive to be like Jesus. Once when I was working at my computer, one of my little granddaughters was sitting in my lap. She was digging in my shirt pocket. As I looked out of my eye, I watched the stuff extracted piece by piece from my pocket. She meticulously examined each piece; my glasses, pens, and papers, and I thought that was all I had, but she kept putting her little hand deep into my pocket. I didn’t pay much attention because I thought she had pretty well cleaned me out. After a few minutes, I noticed she was quiet. I looked down at her, and she had found a toothpick and had it in the corner of her mouth exactly the way I do. The one thing we want to do is learn to imitate Christ and not this world. We want to learn to imitate him and not the people around us. We also want to live so that those who are watching us will be imitating Christ when they imitate us. I want to live so that my kids and grandkids will imitate how I live for Christ.

 

Fresh Joy

 

It is hard to have joy in a day when the daily newscasts compete with who finds the most gloominess. In a day when the government is spending our grandchildren’s money as if it were water. When inflation is rising and salaries are diminishing, on a day when rogue dictators are attacking innocent free people, we wonder where our joy has gone. What sadness pervades our world! What despair! So many are left with the question of is there anything worth waiting for in life? Is there anything to hope for in this world?

God sees the gloom and sadness of our world. He sees our blindness caused by the darkness we have become accustomed to in this messed-up world. In the words of Isaiah, God gives us some incredible encouragement that can give us fresh joy! “In that day, the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see. Once more, the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel (Isa 29:18-19).

God says there is coming a day when he will completely open our eyes, and we will see what we cannot see now. The most challenging questions that we could never find an answer to will be answered on that day. We will receive fresh joy from him. Our joy will come from him and be in him. We will laugh as we have never laughed. We will feel joy and excitement as we have never known it, but the good news is the joy is available now!

Israel was going in circles in their spiritual life with God. The prophet says, “Go on, keep up your religious routine, but it won’t get you anywhere.” Anytime God becomes monotonous and mundane, we are unplugged because God is anything but boring. “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isa 29:13-14). Our part is to be authentic.

Our part is to be hungry for God. It is hard to eat a meal when you don’t have an appetite. Apathy and laziness bring poor results in our relationship with God, and they are both detestable to God. We need to be stirred. We need to see things the way they are and not how this world sees them. We need the power of God in our lives. We need his power to give us hope in a hopeless world. We need his power to serve him with authentic devotion that repels the very sight of mediocracy.

Our part is to live meek lives. “Once more, the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 29:19). Years ago, my son Eric took us to the top of the Capitol of our State of Missouri in Jefferson City. The Capitol is five stories high with a majestic dome overlooking the Missouri River. To get up to that dome, you have to walk a tiny staircase that slowly leads to the outside of the dome, where you see the city below. The staircase has a cage built around it, and I can tell you that it was not made for tall men. Not once but three times, I banged my head on the crossbars. Even after I had done so once, knowing what was ahead, I forgot, and then suddenly, I was reminded of the incompatibility of the steel crossbar and my head. As we live life, it will do us so much good if we learn to live our lives with humility and meekness. When we forget, God has placed crossbars at just the right places to help us remember that he wants humility from his people and not arrogance. If we learn this kind of submission, we will find fresh joy. 

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