Tell me about Serving.
Since the heart of Christianity is about other people, a key thing is to find ways to serve God and serve people. In fact, one of the great joys of being a Christian is found in the work God calls us to do. It is thrilling for God to use your life, it is satisfying seeing people helped, it is rewarding knowing we have done God's will and it is fun and edifying to work with in a team.
Jesus said that He came, 'not to be served but to serve' and that we should follow in His footsteps. (Matthew 20:26-28) There is a multitude of ways that we can serve. But let's start at the beginning. Basic Principles If we to have the joy of being used in God's work, we need to come with the right attitude. That means we need to have a heart of love that wants to do good to other people. Secondly, we need to be servant-hearted - that means see ourselves not as important but as servants of others. To give more of the words of Jesus that we quoted above, He said: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Paul said: 'Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.' Philippians 2:3 So as we start to look for ways to serve, our first place should usually be in our local church. Ask the leaders if there is anything you can do to help. If you have the right attitude it is very rare you will be turned down! Delight to do the humblest of jobs: cleaning, making the tea and coffee, setting things up, being on the door to welcome people. These things may seem humble but they are vital and the church can't function without them. If a visitor or non-Christian comes to the church and finds the building clean and organised and a warm welcome as they enter, it can be a vital part of their experience. As we are willing to do the more humble things and prove ourselves faithful, in time God will give us greater things to do. In the Bible a man called Phillip began as a church servant (deacon) in Acts 6, in which he was called to help serve the widows with food. Proving himself faithful in this, he was soon used greatly as an evangelist. Whenever there is a request for help in your local church, see if you can be available. Serving God is a great way to help you grow as a Christian and it also helps build your relationship with other people. The church is the Body of Christ Jesus said that the church His body, and he is the head. In other words, we are part of fulfilling what He wants to do on earth. With that in mind, the Bible also reminds us that a body is made up of many different part each with its different parts. We need ears and hands, feet and kidneys! Each has its own function and contribution to make. We can't hear with a hand. To call someone on your phone, you will normally need your hands, eyes, ears, brain working together, but a whole system of hidden organs like the heart and lungs simply keeping you alive! In the same way, the church is made up of a group of people with different skills and roles, and it is by working together that we can accomplish things. The more visible parts of the body are not more important than the hidden ones. 'For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12: 12-27) Serving in Christian organisations Our local church should usually be the first place to serve, but God may call us to get involved in one of the many Christian organisations and missions that work alongside churches. These will often ask for a recommendation from your church leaders. You may like to help with Christian camps for children, or prison visiting, short term missions, or volunteering in the office of a Christian charity. It is also a good idea to discuss your intention to serve with a Christian organisation with your church leader first. |