Picking Up My Towel



This past Sunday, the men’s Bible group started our last section of the study we’ve been doing. The section is titled Picking up Your Towel. We discussed Matthew 20:27-29, and how we should put other people before ourselves. I’m looking forward to our further discussion on this topic this Sunday.

I concluded our group last Sunday by challenging the men to put people before them during their daily lives; to allow someone to get in front of them on the road or putting their wives’ or children’s needs before their own. Well this came back on me this morning.

I came down stairs to get coffee from our café. In my work place, we have a café with free (yes, I said free) coffee. When the coffee runs out, whoever is there should make the next pot. We have two 40 cup coffee pots so it takes awhile for the coffee to brew. The person in front of me has just started both pots so I stood there waiting. While I was waiting, two more people came up. In our office, there is an unwritten rule that whoever is in front should go first, but some of the higher ups skip from time to time. At first I was eying these two people wondering if they would try to skip and then Matthew 20:27 popped in my head.

The passage reminded me that I should put these people ahead of me. The coffee will still be there in 30 seconds. When the coffee finished brewing, I waved my hand out offering for the person to my right to go ahead of me. She look confused and then I said, “Ladies, first.” She looked at me and asked, “You’re willing to wait?” and then she got her cup of coffee. She never did say thank you, but that’s not why I made the offer. To the next person, I did the same thing and this lady said, “Thank you” and got her cup. I know it’s a little thing to let people go ahead of me for coffee, but it’s a start.

Jesus is God almighty, and He chose to leave His throne and come down in the form of a man. He didn’t come to be served, but to be a servant. The God of the universe washed 12 pairs of dirty feet (imagine what was on those feet). Jesus put other people’s needs before His own desires. He took this example all the way to the cross. Jesus took our place on the cross so we can have life everlasting. Putting others before ourselves is the least we can do in comparison to Jesus’ example. Allowing a person to get a cup of coffee before you or getting to a place 10 second later because you allowed a person to get in front of you on the road is little compared to what Christ did. Even if people don’t say thank you or give a thank you wave. Have you said “Thank you” to Jesus for putting our needs before His? Think about.