Service is usually something people want, not what they plan to give. Jesus turns that thinking upside down. He left an example of service as the Lord and Master of us all (John 13:4-17). Let us explore service in the life of Christ’s followers.
Service is performing God’s will. Jesus expressed it best when he said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). God’s work is designed to save all men (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4). We are to reach out to all the lost around us (John 4:35; Acts 8:4-14).
Service also involves providing for the needs of others. Paul said we should support the weak because Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The Samaritan loved the one they robbed and left for dead. He showed mercy and compassion on him (Luke 10:36-37). God will remember those who minister to the saints (Hebrews 6:10). Paul urged the brethren to “warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). All of those are directed toward the needs of others.
Promoting the kingdom is also a work of service. Jesus showed that in his preaching. “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it” (Luke 16:16). He directed his listeners to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The apostle directed the brethren at Philippi, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:13-15). Our shining light will point people to God (Matthew 5:14-16).
Gary C. Hampton