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As I prayed about the new year, I felt God wanted me to understand better what serving means. When we think about serving as Christians, it’s usually associated with tasks done within the church, such as preaching, singing, or cleaning. We often tend to picture people who carry out various roles within the church, like the Pastor, the musicians, the greeters/ushers, or the janitorial staff, but is that what serving God really means? What does it mean to serve God, and are we doing it?

When pondering the idea of serving God, I realized that God is trying to teach me that what He means is much more profound and extensive than I typically associate with the term. Serving God is not limited to tasks performed in church, for God, or on particular days; it encompasses every aspect of our lives.

Defining serving God in a way equivalent to what He means is crucial. God loves us so much and wants us to understand Him and His ways. He longs to take each of us into a deeper relationship with him, but that requires detaching from our old ways of thinking and learning to see everything from His unique perspective.

In serving, I believe God is challenging me to get out of my comfort zone, and I think He is challenging the whole Christian body to rise out of self and into service. Let’s look closer at what this means.

To Serve God Means To Follow Jesus

As we live each day, we have new opportunities to choose whether we are willing to honor God and live like Jesus or not. The Bible is a clear guide for Christians who aspire to follow Jesus. Our responsibilities are twofold: to love God and to love others, which means we should serve God and others.

The Bible encourages us to choose whom we will serve (Joshua 24:15). If we try to imitate the lifestyle of Jesus, we will be compassionate towards others and help them in their needs. Ultimately, it is up to us to decide how we wish to live our lives. We can live a life driven by our selfish desires, such as pride, greed, and self-indulgence. On the other hand, we can choose to live as Jesus did by leading a life that glorifies God in all possible ways.

Following Jesus Leads Us To Serve Others

As we contemplate the life of Jesus, we understand that He maintained a constant connection with the Father through prayer. He led a life of purpose, serving as an example to all of us. Jesus served the Father and others by bringing salvation to all humanity through His death. During His lifetime, Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, instilled hope in the hopeless, redeemed societal outcasts, and taught anyone willing to learn.

Christians have specific instructions on how we should live and serve others. As we try to follow the example of Jesus, we must also learn to pray and act. Each one of us should aim to bless others with our lives. We should be a blessing to our families, coworkers, and the random strangers who cross our paths. Everything we have is considered a gift that we should willingly use to help others.

The Bible teaches us to serve God by serving others in these three specific areas. It does not limit us to serving only inside the church or on one particular day.

• our actions
• our resources
• our love

Serve God with our Actions

In the Bible, Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, demonstrating that we should serve others with our actions and serve rather than be served. Philippians 2:4 states, “Let each of you look not only to his interests but also to the interest of others.” We should bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). According to the Bible, we should serve one another (Galatians 5:13) because when we help others, we serve God.

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’‘

Matthew 25:40 ESV

We should not grow weary or tired in doing good (Galatians 6:9). Whatever we do, we work heartily as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23). We should learn to do good, seek justice, correct opposition, bring justice to the fatherless, and plead the widow’s case (Isaiah 1:17).

Serve God With Our Resources

As believers, we serve God with all the resources He has blessed us with, including our finances, talents, time, and energy. It is essential to use these resources for good, as Hebrews 13:16 states, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” The Bible also teaches us that when we serve God with our resources, He will bless us. Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you.” Therefore, we must give generously and serve God with all our hearts, knowing He commands us to do so and will reward our obedience.

God is very concerned with the poor and those in need, and he commands us to open our hands wide to our brother, the needy, and the poor in our land (Deuteronomy 15:11). The book of Proverbs teaches that “whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed (Proverbs 19:17 ESV)”. God promises that “whoever brings blessing will be enriched (Proverbs 11:25).” However, the Bible warns that those who hide their eyes and do not help the poor will be cursed (Proverbs 28:27, ESV).

Serve God With Love For Others

Christians must love one another as God has loved us (John 15:12). Our love for each other is the evidence that we are true followers of Christ. Although it’s not always easy to love people, especially those who have let us down or hurt us, we must still obey this commandment. 1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.”

Like Jesus did, loving others involves caring for their well-being and needs. According to the NIV version of 1 John 3:17, if someone possesses material possessions but fails to show compassion towards a brother or sister in need, then the love of God cannot dwell in that person. We love God because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). How we live and serve others is akin to shining the light of God before others. The Bible encourages us to let others witness our good deeds and give glory to the Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16). In response to everything God has blessed us with as His children, we should share freely.

Serve God Even At Church

Serving God is not just something to do at church, for God, or on a specific day. It encompasses everything we do, including our actions at church. Society often emphasizes self-reliance and encourages individuals to climb the ladder of success independently. We are encouraged to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, be independent, and work our way up the ladder. God’s Kingdom teaches that we serve our way up by working and praying together. 

There is strength in numbers, and the power of collective effort is undeniable. We should always be willing to serve and lend a helping hand to those in need, even within our church community. There might be someone in the church who could benefit from our skills and resources, and we should strive to use them for the greater good.

As children of God, we should become active church members in a local church. We should be willing to serve our fellow Christians as if they were our brothers and sisters. Even though the church family, like any other extended family, is made up of imperfect people, our aim should be to serve our Heavenly Father. When we serve God, we must not focus solely on what we can receive, or we will overlook the blessings from giving to God and others.

We all have a way to serve if we are willing. Each one of us has something to give to the church community. Perhaps God has blessed us with the ability to sing in tune, to keep the rhythm, to teach children, or to encourage others with our story or testimony. Whatever the case, we should be willing to serve. We must be ready to utilize our talents to benefit the Christian body.

The enemy suggests that we don’t need to attend a physical church, but we should look for a church community where we can serve. Although we can listen to sermons online, on TV or radio, read our Bible, and pray at home, we must ask ourselves if that counts as serving.

A Prayer To Know How To Serve God

Serving God requires us to follow Jesus, who teaches us to pray and serve others. To live according to God’s principles, we must seek his help because his ways differ from those of the world. While the world encourages us to be selfish and greedy, God teaches us to be generous and serve others. We’re all imperfect; even if we make mistakes, God can see our hearts. If we fall short, we must acknowledge our mistakes, ask for forgiveness and help, and try again. Let’s pray together and ask God to help us serve Him in His way.

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