You probably already know this but God wants each of us serving others. Serving others is the very reason we are each still here on earth. But as much as serving others is required, we fail to remember that we receive blessings upon blessing when we step out of our comfort zone to serve other people.
Jesus said this: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Do you believe Jesus? Do you agree with Him that serving others is a blessing? Indeed, it truly is!
Serving others will cause you to abound more and more
There was a church in the city of Thessalonica that the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to. It is an encouraging letter that is filled with encouraging reminders, exhortations, and commands. Here is one that reminds us that serving others is to grow in a way that pleases the Lord.
“Finally, then brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).
Here are 14 things to remember about serving others and how these are a blessing to those who are not only served, but who serve. The below points of service are derived from 1 Corinthians 12:1-7, which are found below.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
1. Spiritual gifts are given to believers, never to unbelievers.
2. God wants Christians to be informed regarding their immense spiritual giftedness.
3. Before coming to faith in Christ, we were all idolaters.
4. The Spirit of God will always affirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your worship.
5. People profess saving faith in Jesus Christ because of God’s sovereign enablement alone.
6. Spiritual gifts are given to Christians by the TRINITY (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
7. There are innumerable ways in which we can be serving others around us.
8. God never changes amid the diversities of gifts, ministries, and activities He gives to His children.
9. There is NO separation between spiritual gifts and their usage in ministries and activities.
The Scripture’s emphasis is on “using” your spiritual gifts, not merely talking about gifts, learning about spiritual gifts, or even simply determining what your own gifts are. God isn’t giving us information without the expressed command for consistent application of that information. In other words, with knowledge comes usage.
10. There is a difference between deliberate and ongoing “ministries” versus one-time “activities.”
Examples of on-going MINISTRIES: Sunday school teacher, church pianist or organist, pastor, deacon, deaconess, trustee, missionary, after school program worker, church planter, prayer warrior, etc, etc, etc.
Examples of one-time ACTIVITIES: Providing a meal to someone in need, calling someone on the telephone to encourage them, giving someone a ride to church, singing special music at a church service, taking a new visitor to lunch after church, setting up tables and chairs for a potluck, etc, etc, etc.
11. When you exercise your spiritual gifts in ministry or activities, it is God who is at work in and through you.
12. God fully expects His Holy Spirit to be shown publicly through you!
Exercising your spiritual gift is manifesting the Spirit in you. It is allowing people to see God work through you on their behalf.
13. Every Christian is given the opportunity to manifest the Holy Spirit in his or her own daily life.
14. Even though you get blessed by serving others, your spiritual gift is for the edification of other people, not for yourself.
QUESTION: In what other ways do you believe that serving others becomes a blessing to the one doing the serving?
For year, I heard that phrase “it’s better to give than receive” but the light bulb didn’t really go on until I went on my first mission’s trip. It’s just incredible how much giving impacts and touches the one who is dong the serving. It’s such a beautiful and unexpected gift.
So true Eileen. That’s something I often hear from people who go on short-term mission trips as well. Certainly they blessed those they met and served, but each person came away changed and transformed themselves.
I’d rather have joy over happiness any day of the week, but God is so merciful in that He pours into us both temporary happiness and lasting joy when we serve others. He is so very kind to us!
I found serving someone leads to a win-win situation. The person being served is blessed because of the action being done while the server is feeling inward satisfaction. Great post!
Good assessment, Dan. It is a win-win all the way around. Isn’t it great how God makes the server “feel” good by serving others? Praise Him!