The Green Pastures

I believe that serving should be a high priority to every Christian’s walk with Christ. If we are to be Christlike, and Christ served others in everything He did, than we too must think about how to best serve those around us. In this post I will try to help see ways to serve and how to go about serving. 

Using God’s Gifts

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11

I talked about this a little in the “About” section on this site, but I have been writing for a while before ever putting anything out. I found it to be fun. Not only was it a useful tool to think things through, but it was enjoyable. In the middle of this season of writing, I heard a pastor talk about finding the calling God puts on your life. He said it is much simpler than we usually make it. He said to take something that you are good at and like doing and just use that to glorify God. When I heard that, it initially didn’t change anything, but as it stuck with me for months, it began to change how I saw things, specifically my writings. I saw that I must take what I enjoy and use it for God’s glorification. It is the same thing that 1 Peter is saying in these verses, that we must take what God gives us as gifts and use them to lift Him up. It is only through God that we have anything, so it is right to celebrate that by giving Him everything in service to others.

Serving Christ

“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:40

I’ll admit, it can be hard to serve some days. There could be many different reasons for this. Maybe I don’t know the person I’m being asked to serve, or maybe I don’t like the way I’m being asked to serve. Either way, it happens. The best way I’ve learned to combat this is to read the passage of Matthew 25:35-40, but specifically verse 40, because it is much easier to serve when you remember that you are ultimately serving Christ rather than someone you don’t know; or better yet, someone you don’t like. That is especially true when you see that this passage is talking about the least. Not those that can give you something in return or someone you respect highly. It can be a temptation to serve those people in the hopes that they would repay you with something. That should never be the driving motivator of your serving. Serving is a form of sacrifice that is pleasing to God, as it says in Hebrews 13:16. The only reason to serve should be to glorify God through it. Any other reason is to lift up something besides God. 

Serving in Humility

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

It can be real easy to serve and make it about you. Even if you are serving someone else, helping them can still make it about you, lifting your status up as a kind or well meaning person. I struggled with this and even now it can emerge every once in a while. Maybe I start by serving in a good manner, lifting up Christ’s Love through sacrificial acts toward others, but maybe it gets skewed along the way and instead of lifting Christ’s name, I intend to lift my own. What we must do when we see this rise up is to remember this verse. We must look around and count others more significant than ourselves. There is a possibility to overcorrect, so let me give what it is saying and dispel what it is not. Firstly, prioritize other people before prioritizing yourself. Find out how you can serve them before serving yourself. Secondly, what I do not think is being said is that we are to put ourselves down lower than you really are. I heard someone define humility as not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. Thinking of yourself less is still thinking about yourself. That is the root issue. Stop thinking about yourself, whether positively or negatively, but think about serving others and serving for Christ. 

Being Fulfilled in Service

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” John 4:34

I will never forget the day I realized the deep fulfillment that service of others in Christ’s name can bring. I hesitate to share stories of serving, because serving is best done in secret, but I think this will show the absurd fulfillment that serving can bring. I was asking my pastor at the time if there was anything I could do to help around the church. One day he gave me an admittedly hard task. He even said I could refuse and he would understand, but I figured I might as well do the hard things along with the easy. So he then told me the task, to clear a field of heavy sandbags and a couple massive signs so that the youth group could meet on the field for a special service that night. As I began clearing the field, I thought to my self how hard this was going to be and how tired I would be afterward, but as it went on, my mindset had shifted. Instead of thinking how hard and grueling it was, I was now thinking how blessed I was to help a youth group meet and have a fun time worshiping the Lord. Driving home that night, I couldn’t help but thank God for letting me serve His church. I can’t think of any time where I am more fulfilled than when I am serving in a way that otherwise would not be seen as an exciting or fun job.