The Towel and the Basin of True Power

You have just been promoted at work. Your colleagues now report to you, and for the first time, you hold genuine authority. There is a temptation—perhaps even an expectation—that you should distance yourself from the ordinary tasks, that you should enjoy the privileges of rank. Yet your spirit feels unsettled. You remember Jesus’ words, and you know that something is wrong with this picture.

In John 13, our Lord performed the most humbling act imaginable. He wrapped a towel around His waist and washed the feet of His disciples—a task reserved for the lowest servant in any Jewish household. Peter protested in shock: “Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” But Jesus was teaching something radical and countercultural then, and still now. True authority is not measured by the distance we place between ourselves and others, but by our willingness to serve those under our care.

Jesus did not wash their feet to make a gesture of false humility. He washed their feet because genuine leadership flows from genuine love. He knew who He was—the Lord and Master—yet this knowledge made Him lower Himself, not elevate Himself above them. He gave them an example: “that ye should do as I have done to you.”

In Nigeria, we often hear the saying that “leadership is service.” Many nod and repeat it. But do we practise it? When we are given responsibility—whether in the church, the workplace, the family, or the community—do we truly serve those we lead, or do we begin to demand service from them?

Peter eventually understood. Years later, he would write: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The humility that Jesus modelled is not weakness; it is the very posture that invites God’s exaltation. Moses was “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3), yet he led millions. His meekness did not diminish his authority; it deepened it.

When you lead with a towel in your hand rather than a rod of authority, you invite others to trust you. You show them that no task is beneath you, that you will not ask them to do what you will not do yourself. This is the character that builds loyalty, inspires faithfulness, and mirrors the character of Christ.

Today, if you have any measure of leadership—over children, colleagues, church members, or community—choose the towel. Serve those you lead. Ask yourself: what small, humble task can I do today that will show them that my leadership exists for their good, not my comfort? This is the pathway to the kind of influence that changes lives and honours God.

Lord, give me the courage to lead as Jesus led, through humble service and genuine love.