Humility Helps Us Focus on Others

Humility Helps Us Focus on Others Hero Image Humility Helps Us Focus on Others Hero Image

If your family were to have a smelly feet contest, do you already have in your mind who would win? What if the winner from your family was in a contest against 13 pairs of feet made dirty from walking around the dirty streets of Israel in sandals all day? In our story this week, Jesus found himself in a room with 13 pairs of stinky feet. Do you know how He responded? Once again, as our perfect example of humility, Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, set the needs of others above His own.

HUMILITY: Living With the Right Understanding of Who God is, Who I Am & Who You Are

MEMORY VERSE: Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests but take an interest in others, too." PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4__

This Week’s Finish Line: Humility Helps Us Focus on Others

John 13:1-17 tells of a meal Jesus and His disciples were eating together, just before Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified. During the meal, Jesus humbled Himself and began to wash His disciples’ feet…their dirty, tanned feet. This puzzled the disciples…why would their Master take on the posture and performance of a lowly servant? Jesus told them plainly, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master…Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (John 13:15-17 NLT). Jesus modeled for His disciples how true humility leads to focusing on others, and then He called them to do the same. The implication stands for us as well: If Jesus, the KING of kings and LORD of lords lived a life of humility that focused on others, He will help us purpose our heart and reorient our actions to do the same.

Family Questions:

  1. Reread verse 5. What did Jesus do that no one else wanted to do? (He acted like a servant and washed their dirty feet.) Did any of the disciples offer to wash feet? (No) Why do you think they didn’t want to do it? (Washing feet was a job that only the lowest servants did. It wasn’t their responsibility so they didn’t offer to do it even though someone needed to.)
  2. Look at verse 16. What do you think Jesus means when He says servants/slaves are not greater than their master? (If their master is willing to do something, like wash feet, then they must be willing to do it, too. They follow His lead.) Who are we: the servants or the master? (We are the servants and Jesus is our master.)
  3. Reread verses 14-15. The first week of humility we learned Jesus is our perfect example. What kind of example did Jesus set for us here as our master? (He wanted to show us that none of us are too good to be humble. Since He is our teacher and above us, we shouldn’t think that we are too good to do what He did. He focused on others and He will help us do the same.)
  4. Instead of being proud of His perfection, how did He show humility by being others focused when He went to the cross? (He knew our great need of a Savior. He was willing to take our place even though He didn’t deserve to die and we didn’t deserve to be saved. He showed us His great love by humbly taking our punishment.)

Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:

* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.

Teacher: Meal Time

Read John 13:1-17. This dinner took place right before Jesus was arrested. What if, when He was taken, He had said, “I didn’t sin. Why should I have to die? I shouldn’t be responsible to take care of the needs of those sinners. Let them do it themselves.” Talk about how your life would be different if Jesus hadn’t shown humility and died for your sins.

Friend: Drive Time

Practice the memory verse stop-and-go style! When you are about 100 feet from a stoplight or stop sign, start saying the verse as fast as you can. The goal is to get through the entire verse before you have to stop at the light or the sign. If you don’t make it in time, pause when you reach the light/sign and then pick it back up when you start driving again.

Counselor: Bedtime

Think of a time when someone met a need you had. Pray and thank God for this person and how they met your need. You could even write them a thank you note and encourage them with this month’s memory verse, Philippians 2:3-4.

Coach: Anytime

Help your kids think of a time when God helped them be others-focused and met a need they saw without being told. Brainstorm ways your family can meet others’ needs this week. Here are some examples: help your sibling clean his or her room, set the table at dinner before your parents ask, become friends with a new kid in the neighborhood or at church, throw away trash someone else dropped.

Prayer

Thank God for His example of how to focus on others in humility. Ask Him to help you serve others in humility, even those people in your life who are hard to love.

Looking Ahead

Next week we will start the month of June with the godly character trait, DILIGENCE. We will be learning this month that diligence means to consistently work with all my heart to bring glory to God. Next week we will specifically learn how God created us to work.

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