The words service, servitude, serve etc. are mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible yet its an area of our faith many christians, including myself struggle with. I’ve noticed there are three types of service we can contribute to, and all play into and through each other. One, service to God, two service to yourself and third service to others.
Service to God:
Service to God is paramount. Every breath we take and every action we make is from and to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 28:9 states “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.” Wholehearted devotion. I’m not sure what exactly that is, let alone how to do it! Jesus was tortured on the cross to save us. When I think of how God so abundantly loves His people everyday, though we are filthy and undeserving in sin – it honestly moves me to tears. Though it may be hard to grasp what wholehearted devotion truly means God gives us a glimpse of what this kind of devotion looks like in 1 Samuel 12:24 which says “But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.” also in Deuteronomy 11:13-14 it says “So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul…” Now, with a little more understanding, we can begin to learn what true devotion is by giving our WHOLE hearts our WHOLE minds and our WHOLE souls to Jesus and His truth. We need not be superfluous towards God, He just wants us. As 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us “ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Pure and simple.
Service to Yourself:
As we serve God, He continually fills us. But it is also our job to fill ourselves. Imagine putting a dead battery in your car and expecting it to start. Ludacris, right? So why do we expect ourselves to ‘start’ and be there for others even though our battery is dead? It is NOT selfish and it is NOT lazy to take care of yourself. It is actually completely selfless. Deliberately removing yourself and making time for you to purposefully recharge is vital to being able to go out and charge up others for God. In Ephesians 5:29 God says “After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—” This aspect of service is what is hardest for me. Serving myself, recharging my battery, slowing down and choosing myself is the most challenging part of my faith, personally. But when I do I feel completely renewed and ready to fervently serve the Lord and pursue my calling. Even God himself took a day of rest on the Sabbath Day. (Genesis 2:1-3) We work and do God’s will, then we REST so we can exude God to every person we encounter. And as we prepare ourselves for service Romans 12:1 reminds us “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Prepare, cultivate and recharge yourself to be a living sacrifice so that you are ABLE to serve others.
11 easy ways to serve yourself:
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Take a nap!
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Take yourself out to your favorite meal.
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Go for a hike.
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Journal your random thoughts and ideas.
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Bible Journaling / Illustrating your Bible.
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Have a dance party in your room.
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Generate a playlist of all your favorite songs.
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Declutter your home.
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Go to a dog park. (even if you don’t have a dog)
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Read a book you’ve been wanting to read (self help books are great!)
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JUST BREATHE!
Service to others:
Now the greatest most wonderful type of service is service to others. And now that we have focused on serving God and serving ourselves it makes it quite simple to do so. “The secret to a truly meaningful life is serving someone other than yourself.” This sentence has stuck with me since it was told to me six years ago. In Mark 10:45 it says “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” If Jesus came to this earth on a mission to serve, and we are made to be like Jesus, then we must serve others. In fact Matthew 23:11 says “The greatest among you will be your servant.” To truly follow and be an agent of God means to be servant to all. And how do we do this but by SHOWING God to others through our service and our actions simply because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, sometimes you may have to step out of your comfort zone, but God has given each of us a unique gift and a unique perspective to give to this world. If God has put it on your heart to serve someone- ACT. When God calls us to act He does not do so in vain. He will protect and lead you, lead your words and lead your feet. In 1 Peter 4:10 it states “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” You are on this earth for a purpose so much more than yourself. So DO IT. Act on your calling and follow God’s voice without fear. Do not hoard your things, your finances, and your time. Give it. Do this and see how much these things actually multiply once you start to serve. These things start to grow because you have said YES to God. Feel the feeling of completion in yourself by making someone else simply smile.
11 easy way to serve others:
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Compliment someone.
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Pay for someone’s coffee.
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Sit with someone in a restaurant if they are sitting alone.
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Become part of the welcome team at your church.
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Reach out to someone you’ve lost touch with.
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Give your coworker a small gift. Candy, flowers, a little stuffed animal – anything.
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Write a friend a note and just thank them for being your friend.
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Tip your barista.
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Let someone over on your drive home.
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Leave notes of encouragement around your home or office.
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Simply smile.
Verses Referenced:
1 Sam 12:24:
24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
1 Chronicles 28:9
9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.
1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Deuteronomy 11:13- 14
13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.
Romans 12:1
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Matthew 20:27- 28
27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Genesis 2:1-3
“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made”
Ephesians 5:29
“29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—”
Matthew 23:11
11 “The greatest among you will be your servant.”
Mark 10:45
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 4:10
10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
