What would you do for somebody that you love? If your husband or wife is sick. Do you help them rest, maybe fluff their pillow, tuck them in, maybe prepare them some soup. If your friend or neighbor has a parent pass away, or maybe they are recovering from surgery… Would you take them a meal?
When you love someone, you are naturally wired to serve them. Serving God is probably one of the most important principles in the Christian faith.
We’re told to love one another, care for one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, help one another, counsel one another, support one another, pray for one another. The Bible repeatedly tells us of our relationship to God and others through service.
God calls us to serve, not just the people that we know and love. But anyone out there. He tells us to love everyone. How can you be intentional about serving others?
Mark 10:45, “For even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve.”
Even Jesus said he came to serve and that should really be our role model. Scripture teaches us that serving God and others is not about doing huge things, but about doing the small things with great love. We can serve God and others daily by being kind to our neighbors, volunteering our time or giving to those in need. Serving others is a way for us to show how great our God is. It may not be easy to serve sometimes, but God’s grace and strength will help us. Nothing is too small for God to use it. Nothing we do for God will be in vain.
First let’s look at your gifts. Once you start reading and understanding the Bible. You’ll see that we’re encouraged to serve one another and we’re all given gifts and talents from God. He wants us to use them as part of the church body. Each person has something they bring to the group that God can use for His purpose. Gifts help us contribute and help others.
1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “now there are a variety of gifts but the same spirit, and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but as the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”
You can learn what your spiritual gift is by using several free online tests. A list of tests are available below And there’s a free bonus with a list of ideas on ways that you can serve. Speaking of ways you can serve… What are those opportunities?
Second, pray about it. Seek God’s will first because there are so many things that you can do. Which area and which place does God want you to serve? You can look at our list of ideas or go to your church website and see if they have opportunities or need help.
My husband and I serve as Seaters on Sunday mornings. Others serve in the music ministry with kids, as greeters, parking attendants, or at events, etc. There’s always something happening on a Sunday morning that could use another set of hands or a smile. Ask your pastor or maybe one of your church leaders on how you can get involved. You can also look for ministries in your area that need help. Look beyond the church. My husband and I were foster parents for several months and as a result we now serve in a ministry that helps bring meals to foster families once a week. It helps them get a night off so they can have some family time.
There are ministries for a lot of things: homeless pregnancy, mental health, widows and a ton of different life situations that people encounter. Think about how your life experience has given you insight on how you could help other people. There’s probably a ministry for that. And if there isn’t, maybe you should start one!
Next… schedule it, plan it and do it. Take the final step to commit to a time and date. Do some research to match your talents and interests and experiences and then put a month on the calendar in which you want to start. Call or email the organization or the people involved to lock down a specific date, time and location. Have a Nike moment and just do it.
Once you’ve tried a serving opportunity, you need to do it again. The good news is, if you didn’t care for that one, you can some different. Maybe it just wasn’t a good match. Pick a different Sunday morning role or pick a different ministry. Maybe you really liked what you did and you want to do it over and over again. But maybe you also like variety. Be sure to follow through on any commitments you make because there are going to be people depending on you. It is okay to serve in the same way or in a different way. There is a lady in our church who loves working at special events. She likes to be the person that checks in people. We don’t have special events every single week, but when we do… She is the first person to raise her hand. God will use your service to bless His people and to bless you.
Serving isn’t just about you. Serving as a sacrifice of time and energy, but you’re doing it for God and for others as an act of love. It is very easy just to be at home and just live your life, but that’s not what we’re called to do. God wants us as his ambassadors out in the world, serving other people. Serving is your chance to show the love of Jesus and that’s always fun. So get started today!
Spiritual Gift Tests:
Jimmy Knott Spiritual Gift Assessment
Ideas on how to serve: Download List Here
