Serving God

Meeting the needs of those in distress is a fundamental Christian desire. While many of us genuinely wish to serve others, churches often prioritize evangelism and internal activities over these acts of service. In this blog, we will explore how serving God through ministering to the needs of others is a vital form of ministry.

If you are a follower of Jesus who has experienced his love, mercy, and forgiveness, it’s only natural to want to serve him. We yearn to express our love, gratitude, and worship for who he is and what he has done for our lives and our eternity.

Initially, we want to do something spectacular, but then we find out God has not called us to be like Moses, Elijah, or Peter. It's super disappointing, but we handle it. Eventually, we settle into what God has planned for us—at least, what He has planned for us for now.

One of the most amazing things about serving is that it is a double-edged sword. On the surface, serving seems to be the act of giving. As it turns out, service is the act of taking just as much as it is an act of giving. It’s a paradox, but the more you give, the more God grows, nurtures, molds, and shapes you.

Some people burn out serving God. It’s because they are not really serving God. They are doing things because “good Christians do these things.” They serve because they are supposed to. It’s not coming from their spirit; it's coming from their sense of duty and their sense of right and wrong. It's driven by the intellect, not by the heart (Holy Spirit). There's no power in this type of service, so eventually, they crash and burn, often leaving the church in the process.

The Forgotten Ministry

Note that the context of these verses is Jesus talking about the final judgment.

Serving God by caring for the needs of those in need is just as essential as evangelism. Serving God by tending to those in trouble is just as precious to God as any other Christian practice. Yet, serving the needs of others seems to take a back seat to other church endeavors.

To illustrate the point:

• Preaching the Gospel to all the world is mentioned four times in the Bible. It consumes most of the church’s energy.
• Taking care of the needs of widows (widowers), orphans, foreigners, the sick, and prisoners is mentioned 69 times in the Bible.

There is an unambiguous mandate for this ministry, yet most church focus is on missions and church operations.

I Want To Serve God

Paul tells us we were created to do good works:

James also says:

Churches provide many ways to serve; however, most are structured around sharing the Gospel, participating in missions, or volunteering within the church. There are some issues with relying solely on these activities:

• Sharing the Gospel: As discussed in my Rethinking Evangelism series, sharing the Gospel is primarily a Holy Spirit-driven activity that often involves those with the specific gift of evangelism. It's not the most suitable way for everyone to serve, especially if God hasn't opened that door for you. For most congregants, this may not be the ideal outlet.
• Missions: Unless we are actively involved in the mission field, this usually translates into writing checks and praying for missionaries. While these are very fine contributions, they don't fulfill the innate desire that many Christians have to serve others directly.
• Serving in the Church: Supporting the church through various roles, from parking lot attendants to greeters, is essential for a church to function smoothly. However, somewhere along the line, we've equated these volunteer roles with serving others. While crucial for church operations, these duties don't satisfy the deeper Christian calling to minister to the needs of those in our communities.

The bottom line is that most churches do not provide an outlet for Christians to serve God in the way that the Holy Spirit calls them to serve. This leaves most Christians with an unfulfilled spirit, and it's one of the reasons many Christians have abandoned church membership entirely.

I don't mean to place the entire burden on the church. Many Christians find ways to fulfill their calling by serving outside the church. However, the church should acknowledge this deep-seated hunger within most of its congregation and develop programs that help meet that need.

Moreover, Christians should recognize that serving others is their core Christ-like attribute. Don’t compromise this calling by accepting volunteer positions within the church as meeting this basic desire that all Followers of Christ have. Yes, help the church, but this doesn’t qualify as serving others as Jesus taught us.

Final Thoughts

I've talked with many of you about your desire to serve God, but “you just don’t fit into the infrastructure your church provides.”

The second thing you should understand is that the need is growing. People are afraid, anxious, depressed, uncertain, and confused.

We carry the light:

We are the flavor of life:

We transmit hope:

If you don't fit into the normal church paradigm, find another outlet. Ask God to open a door, and He will.

It doesn't have to be through an organized endeavor such as a church or a non-profit. In fact, avoid those organizations altogether as they tend to get political and worldly.

It doesn't have to be elaborate or sophisticated. Here are some ideas:

Fulfilling our calling is the key to the abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10:10). For most of us, serving others is that calling.

God Bless!

Mark