“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 13:14-15, NIV)
An Upper Room Reflection
In the Upper Room, Jesus removes His robe, kneels before dusty fishermen and scrubs the grime from their feet. The King of Kings embraces the posture of a household slave. Christian entrepreneurship begins at that basin. When we answer phones, pack parcels, draft invoices or respond to criticism, we are given the same towel and basin—an invitation to practice foot-washing customer care.
Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us that whatever we do, we “work at it with all [our] heart, as working for the Lord… It is the Lord Christ [we] are serving.” The marketplace does not divide sacred from secular; every counter, call-centre headset, or consultant’s desk can become an altar. Profit is not unspiritual; it is provision that allows the work of God to continue. Yet the motive that powers Christian service is never quarterly return but eternal reward.
Hebrews 13:2 pushes the thought further: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” In other words, the difficult caller, the price-sensitive shopper, the client who “just wants a quote” may be heaven’s disguised guest. The spiritual irony is profound: we, sinners saved by grace, are granted the privilege of welcoming emissaries from the throne room.
Modern data echoes Scripture’s wisdom. Research shows 93% of customers are more likely to make repeat purchases when they receive excellent service[1]. Companies that view service as a profit centre grow revenue 3.5 times faster than those that treat it as a cost[2]. Even a 5% lift in customer retention can swell profits 25–95%[3]. The world calls these results “customer experience management”; Jesus calls them loving your neighbour.
Yet gospel-shaped service is not transactional. It flows from humility: “You call me Teacher and Lord… and I have washed your feet.” We remember that we ourselves sat, unworthy, at Christ’s table. That memory softens our tone when a delivery is delayed, quickens our response when an account is in distress, and steadies our patience when technology fails. People are not interruptions; they are ministry-opportunities.
Imagine your reception area as a modern Bethany, your web-chat pop-up as a digital Samaritan road. Each interaction—whether praise or complaint—is a doorstep on which Christ stands and asks, “Will you wash My feet here?” Serving wholeheartedly, therefore, is not a marketing tactic; it is worship.
Foot-Washing In Business
- Practice Foot-Washing Humility.
Begin every shift with a short prayer: “Lord, whose feet will I wash today?” Encourage teams to notice needs before customers voice them—holding the door, learning preferred names, anticipating supply-chain anxieties. Humility also means owning mistakes quickly; an authentic apology can transform an irate client into a brand evangelist. - Serve “unto the Lord” with Whole-Hearted Excellence.
Data indicates that businesses focused on customer experience out-perform industry peers by 4–8% in revenue growth[4]. Excellence is not perfectionism; it is integrity in the ordinary—clean rest-rooms, transparent invoices, return calls within the promised window. When a believer replies to an after-hours email with warmth and clarity, the kingdom of God touches a spreadsheet. - Extend Grace to Strangers.
Scripture insists we welcome the unknown guest; statistics confirm why. Loyal customers are 74% more likely to recommend a company to friends and family[1]. Design “surprise-and-delight” moments for first-time buyers: a handwritten thank-you, a no-questions-asked refund, a follow-up resource that solves a peripheral problem. Serving outsiders without expectation drums the rhythm of the gospel into corporate culture.
Testimony: Chick-fil-A’s “My Pleasure” Culture
S. Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946 with a simple credo: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” Staff soon noticed that when Cathy visited the Ritz-Carlton he heard employees respond to every “thank you” with “my pleasure.” He returned and told franchisees he wanted the same phrase to echo across his counters. The directive was met with polite nods—then largely ignored. A year later, Cathy repeated the request, gently but firmly. A third year passed; still inconsistent. Finally, the founder addressed the operators: “If you want to work for Chick-fil-A, your employees will all say ‘my pleasure’ at the end of every transaction.” The sentence stuck—and a hospitality revolution began[5][6].
Today, customers associate the two-word reply with uncommon kindness. Independent surveys rank Chick-fil-A first in U.S. fast-food satisfaction year after year. Turnover sits at roughly one-third of the industry average, and the chain’s per-restaurant revenue surpasses competitors who operate seven days a week—even though Chick-fil-A closes on Sundays to honour Sabbath rest[6]. Former cable-repair technicians, bank tellers and even rivals have adopted “my pleasure” as a service hallmark, illustrating how one believer’s humility can permeate an entire sector[5].
The divine impact is not measured only in sales figures. Cathy’s insistence on respect dignified millions of daily interactions, gently reminding staff and customers alike that they matter to God. Foot-washing in a chicken sandwich line? Absolutely—and heaven smiles.
Closing Words
Dear entrepreneur, you may never scrub literal feet between board meetings, but every invoice, email and handshake can carry the fragrance of Christ. When quarterly targets loom, recall the basin. When a stranger’s accent is hard to understand, remember angels. When growth tempts you to cut relational corners, let the towel steady your hand. Serve with all your heart, for it is the Lord Christ you are serving. Customers will notice; eternity already has.
Sources
[1] Desk365, “101 Customer Service Statistics You Need to Know in 2025,” Jul 8 2025.
[2] SuperOffice, “How Customer Service Teams Contribute to Revenue Growth,” Jun 25 2024.
[3] Preferred CFO, “Increase Profits by Increasing Customer Satisfaction,” Jan 6 2025.
[4] Fluent Support, “85+ Customer Service Statistics,” Dec 20 2024.
[5] Steve Graves, “My Pleasure,” Jun 3 2024.
[6] SAS Insights interview with Dan Cathy, Aug 6 2024. [7] Chick-fil-A corporate article, “How Truett’s Love for Customers Grew from a Coke and a Smile,” Nov 11 2016.
This article was originally published in the Faith Footprints. To receive similar articles, you are invited to subscribe:
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