For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame …
—Hebrews 12:2b NIV)

“Where are Mom and Dad?”

“They’re in heaven,” her husband replies. He then asks her if she’d like to come to the table and have dinner.

“It’s not right for us to eat without Mom and Dad.” Again, he repeats where her parents are, having died many years ago.

“I’m not eating without them.” She refuses supper tonight and goes to bed with her 85-year-old husband, her sole caregiver. He asks for no help in her care, believing he knows her best. He wants to show her that love by caring for her until the end.

She is 94 years old and in the early stages of dementia. Late afternoon, as the sun is setting, she begins to feel confused about where she is and who her family members are. She wants to go home, despite being in the home she has lived in for 23 years. Time after time, her husband tries to help her understand where she is and who he is, holding her hand, kissing her gently, and telling her how much he loves her. He provides her with her first cup of coffee at the breakfast table, showers her, cooks her meals, and cleans up after her when she doesn’t make it to the bathroom in time. After she is safely in bed, he comes out to the kitchen and thanks God for another day that he has been able to be with her and hold her hand. He never complains. His life of serving my mother is his greatest joy, and he would have it no other way.

This man models for me what it means to be a true servant. My mother’s smile is his thanks as he repeats the same tasks day after day and sits by her side as she sleeps. His one desire is to be faithful to his bride until God calls her home. He is motivated by his love for her.

I can’t help but think of Jesus as I watch my stepfather with such admiration and gratitude.

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
—Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

As I ponder Jesus’ choice to obey His Father and come to earth, it wasn’t for recognition or accolades or even thanks—but to be a servant. One Bible translation describes our Savior as making Himself nothing.

Why would He leave the glory and perfection of heaven to come live among us, people full of sin and selfishness? For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame (Hebrews 12:2b NIV).

I was the joy set before Him. You were the joy set before Him. His desire to bring us back into relationship with Him is what brought Him to our earth. This is the sole reason Jesus made himself nothing.

My stepfather isn’t known for his wealth, his intellect, or his possessions. What makes him extraordinary is his servant heart. Who can we touch with servant love this Christmas season? Who needs your acceptance, your forgiveness, your time, your attention? Will you be a servant like the Savior we worship this season?

Jesus, as we worship you this Christmas, help us to follow your example by showing servant love to those around us. In our Savior’s name we pray, Amen.

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
so that we may sing for joy to the ends of our lives. (Psalm 90:14)

Judy Wilson

Sweet Selah Ministries 

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet

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