Towels vs. Titles

Almost every Christian says they believe in serving. Yet across American churches, about 80 percent of the giving and volunteering is done by 20 percent of the people. Most of us don't skip serving because we disagree with it. We skip it because we see it as an occasional event instead of part of who we are in Christ. Jesus settled the question when He picked up a towel instead of claiming a title. You can start with one simple yes.

Why is serving part of a Christian's identity?

Serving is part of your identity because in Christ you are a new person, and serving is how that new life shows up. It isn't an extra activity for the especially committed. It flows from who you now are.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

That's why the 80/20 gap is worth asking about. On Beyond Sunday, Pastor Adrian Cruz and a guest pastor who preached in Calvary's liturgical service that weekend talked about where the disconnect comes from.

Why do so few believers actually serve?

Many believers don't serve because they misunderstand why serving matters to God. We've turned it into a one-day event: show up, feel good, take a picture for Instagram, go home. When serving is cut off from the mission of Christ, commitment starts to feel optional.

Here's a simple test. You don't want someone watching your kids with 20 percent effort, or only 20 percent of the time. You want them all in. The same is true of the small things. Holding a door, picking up trash, or giving a child a high five in the hallway matters to God. He is the audience you serve. You aren't trying to please people. You're living for the day your Father says, "Well done."

Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.

Matthew 25:21

What did Jesus teach about greatness?

Jesus taught that the greatest person is the servant. When His disciples argued about rank, He turned the pecking order upside down.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45

In Jesus' day, teachers and lords were the ones who got served. People waited on them. Jesus came into that culture and chose the lowest place on purpose.

What does it mean to pick up a towel?

Picking up a towel means choosing humble, practical service over status. The image comes from John 13, one of the clearest pictures of serving in all of Scripture.

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed His disciples' feet. He did it with the weight of the world on Him, on the most consequential day in human history. He even washed the feet of Judas, knowing what Judas was about to do. Peter protested, and Jesus answered him plainly.

Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.

John 13:8

Then Jesus told them to follow His example.

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

John 13:14 to 15

We live in a culture consumed with titles: building your brand, building your own kingdom, climbing whatever ladder your profession offers. It's a choice between "me" and "we." During their conversation, the two pastors landed on a phrase that became the episode's name: titles versus towels.

In everyday life, a towel can look like raking a neighbor's yard or carrying in someone's groceries. It can also mean acting on a prompt from the Holy Spirit to help someone who can't repay you.

Has serving always set Christians apart?

Yes. Loving people who don't look, talk, or think like you has always been countercultural, and Christian service has stood out for centuries.

History bears this out. During plagues, including the bubonic plague, Christians went back into cities others were fleeing. They cared for the dying, knowing they might lose their own lives. Christian care for the sick helped give rise to hospitals. In the Roman Empire, when unwanted baby girls were left outside to die, Christians took them in and raised them as their own. It all traces back to a Teacher who knelt to wash feet.

Are you a consumer or a contributor?

A healthy Christian life both receives and gives. Picture two bodies of water in Israel. The Sea of Galilee is full of life. The Dead Sea, just south of it, can't support fish. Both receive water, but only the Sea of Galilee lets water flow out.

A kingdom consumer only takes. A kingdom contributor lets what God pours in flow out to others. Pastor Adrian tells Calvary students they are contributors, not consumers, and that they can give back right now.

The guest pastor learned this as a kid by watching his parents and grandparents serve at church as ushers and in missions. Serving with your children or teens builds that same foundation in them.

Do you lose something when you serve?

No. You gain. It can feel as though serving costs you time and giving costs you resources, but God's kingdom runs on a different economy.

When you give, God blesses you. That isn't your motivation, but it is the principle of sowing and reaping. The guest pastor shared that he started serving to be a blessing. He kept discovering that he was the one being blessed, in ways he couldn't fully explain.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

Every time you say yes to serving, your selfishness loses a little ground and you make room for the Holy Spirit to work. And you may never see the full impact. A small act of service can have eternal consequences in someone's life.

Common questions

Why did Jesus wash the disciples' feet?

In John 13 Jesus took the role of the lowest servant to show His followers how to live. He said that since their Lord and Teacher had washed their feet, they should do the same for one another.

Why is serving important for Christians?

Serving reflects your new identity in Christ and follows the example of Jesus, who came to serve. It matters to God in small, everyday ways, not only at big events.

What if I'm too busy to serve?

Start with one thing instead of trying to do everything. Each yes makes room for God to do more through you, and serving often refreshes you more than it costs.

What does "titles versus towels" mean?

It's the choice between chasing status and following Jesus' example of humble service. A title is about being recognized; a towel is about meeting someone's need, the way Jesus did when He washed His disciples' feet.