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The Heart Behind Serving

by Matthew Delzell on September 09, 2024

I’m not sure what your life looked like growing up, but I grew up in a family that was “firmly planted” in the local church. If you haven’t heard that term before it basically means we were at church A LOT. This is by no means bragging, but if there was an opportunity to set up chairs, we did it. Needed help in the nursery? We did it. Even if someone needed to clean toilets, we were on it. If the doors were open, we were probably there serving in our local church.

The problem was, if you counted all the hours and added them up, they didn’t amount to much. Our serving was not a response to anything or filled with intention of getting closer to God. It was more of a Christian “gold star” we put on our awesome service score sheet to show we were more Christian than the other Christians.

What we were lacking as we dove headfirst into serving was the understanding that serving has purpose, not just for us personally but for those around us in the church, and in our local community.

What is the purpose in serving?

  1. Serving is a reminder. It keeps before us the reality of our salvation.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…

2 Corinthians 5:17-18a

Salvation is God's free gift to us. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith, then are we saved.

Serving God and others in the local church and in our community is a continual reminder that we are no longer self-ruled. Instead, we have stepped into a better way of living, a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

  1. Serving is an opportunity. It helps us know who we are and what we were made for.

 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10


The reality is, you have gifts and abilities that no one else has. God has uniquely created you and has a purpose for your life. The beauty of serving is, as you step into different roles or areas of service, you begin to discover the giftings and abilities God has given you. Not everyone has a welcoming personality, or the desire to study and teach, or as silly as it seems, to see when someone just needs a hello and hug. Serving helps open your eyes to what God has created you to do.

Use your church resources to discover your skill sets or use this list as ways to serve in your church:

  • Join the worship team.
  • Become an usher greeting visitors and helping with the offering and communion.
  • Become a prayer partner.
  • Become a youth leader or mentor.
  • Teach children's ministry or serve in the nursery.
  • Teach an adult small group such as a Sunday school or Bible study.
  • Host a small group study in your home.
  • Help clean the facilities or maintain the building and grounds.
  • Work in the technology, production and sound booth.
  • Help with administrative and secretarial work.
  • Lead outreach programs for the community.
  • Lead mission trips.
  • Organize food and other support for families in crisis.
  • Cook a meal for someone in your congregation or help with their yardwork or give them a ride to the doctor.
  • Visit people in the hospital or send encouraging cards to others in the congregation.

  1. Serving is sharing. Specifically, serving is sharing the love of God that you have received.

 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30-31

One of the greatest benefits of serving is showing other people that there is more to life than just the day to day. It gives people hope that things can be different, and life can be better.

In what ways can you serve today? Who do you know that needs to be impacted by a kind gesture? Maybe it’s more personal and you just need to break a cycle of self-focus. I challenge you to find a way to serve someone today and be reminded that in life you were made for more.

Today’s Prayer:

God, I thank You that You help all of us to respond to You. Show us ways we can serve, not for us but for You. Thank You for the reminder that serving is a response to your love, and an opportunity to discover what you have purposed for us. Thank You for this pathway to share the greatness of who You are. Open our eyes to ways we can serve and the needs of those in our community. Thank You for another day. Amen.

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