Serving Others
by Bob Gaudi
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16
In our Senior Connections Bible study, we are working through a study titled Developing a Servant’s Heart by the late Dr. Charles E. Stanley. The study is quite comprehensive and discusses, in detail, what it means to be a servant; covering every facet from why God saved us, to how and why we should serve others, principles of effective service, what it takes to develop and maintain such a heart, and ultimately, the rewards of service.
One of our recent studies covered the importance of spiritual gifts in providing effective service to others. We all have Holy Spirit-provided gifts that enable us to serve in unique ways. Whether these gifts are always present and used as needed or bestowed on us in times of need is for God to know. The point is that these gifts are used to serve.
Just the other day, I was thinking about serving others and the employment of spiritual gifts in so doing. I was really struggling with why some people have certain spiritual gifts and others do not. For example, how can a person be a missionary in a foreign country when I cannot even begin to comprehend what such a calling entails? Yet, I realized that I am able to serve in ways I had not previously imagined; facilitating a Bible study or becoming a Stephen Minister are two examples. I believe that we are given (or led to using) these gifts as God determines for His purposes.
I now realize that maybe there is another way of approaching the idea of service to others. Perhaps our mindset should be what God can do through us rather than what we can do ourselves. This line of reasoning allows us to understand God’s part and purpose in setting us up for success in His plan. He chooses how He wants us to serve, and then He equips us to provide the service. This is different from us deciding how to serve and then asking the Holy Spirit to empower us. God provides the ability for us to see the need and the way forward, allowing us to carry out His plan by relying on His awesome and unlimited power.
This kind of mindset—one of drawing on God’s power and purpose and not our own—helps us to rise above our fear of failure and achieve the certainty of understanding that we can do anything He chooses for us to do. Paul pointed out that our competence comes from God, not us (2 Cor. 3:5); and he boasted of his weakness in that he could be strong in Christ (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
The lesson here is not to be afraid to step up and step out. Let the Spirit lead you and then follow through on opportunities to serve, no matter how big or how small. Noah built an ark, David slew Goliath, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and Daniel survived a blazing furnace as well as a lion’s den…the list goes on. Surely, we can show kindness to others. If the Spirit is truly calling you, fear not, He will provide. Serve and bear witness for God by shining your light through service to others and therefore to Him. Show others the Christian you are!
Heavenly Father, lead and empower me through Your Spirit to serve You through serving others. Help me to remember that by serving others, I am executing Your will and blessing You. Give me the courage to follow where Your Spirit leads, and strengthen me to be bold for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.