The word “service” is often disinterested by many people including, believers. People give different interpretations of service. Some of these views might be true, however, service is God’s expectation for all believers and it should be done in God’s way.

In Mathew 20: 28, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to the world not to be serviced but to serve God who sent Him to the extent of laying down His life for all to be saved. First, God undoubtedly loved and served through Jesus Christ so that we can be served. This lesson will give us more insight into what we need to know and how God expects us to serve Him and others. Let us discuss below the areas where Christ’s disciples can serve:

Areas of Service

 Counseling service: This involves a believer helping individuals, families, or groups with godly advice as they cope with the pressures of life. The wise of Jethro saved him from wearing out (Exodus 18: 13-24; Proverbs 24: 6).

Visitation service: Visitation is essential because believers are representatives of Jesus Christ who should bring encouragement to others known or unknown to them. Christ’s disciples should visit to encourage members not only in the church but also in the neighborhood and community.

Payer service: Daniel interceded for his nation, Israel. If we can do so, we and our nation will prosper (Psalm 122: 6; 1 Timothy 2: 1)

Giving service: Giving is an essential part of Christian service. Having received grace through Jesus Christ and blessings from Him, we are expected to share with others the abundance God has blessed and show gratitude to God through us. Our giving can be done by God (Hebrews 13: 16).

Witnessing service: This has to do with proclaiming the good news of salvation to lost souls everywhere we go. Witnessing is a service that is a command by God and it is a show that we love God and we are obedient to Him (Mathew 28: 19-20), and this should be done wholeheartedly.

Community service: It is also referred to as neighborhood service. It can be used to improve places or the environment such as roads, motor parks, historic buildings, or scenic areas. Read for more information. (Nehemiah 4: 6).

Church service: Areas, where believers can serve in the church, including ushering, sanctuary keeping, Sunday school department, choir, children’s department, etc.

Leadership service: Leadership in itself is service. It comes from the goal and heart of readiness to serve and it is directed at making an impact in the lives of others. Leadership service holds, e.g. father, firstborn child, etc. Examples are pastoral service, parenting, etc.

Administrative service: This could also mean organizational service. It has to do with planning, directing, and coordinating activities that will help the organization run effectively. Believers should make conscious efforts to be exemplary in directing this kind of service. They should serve beyond remuneration, and do such service as unto the Lord.

Giftedness: This refers to believers’ use of their inborn talents and traits to serve humanity. In addition, unborn talents and traits are spiritual gifts. Examples of talents and traits are singing, playing instruments, writing, etc while spiritual gifts include teaching, helping, counseling, and so on.

Acceptable, Unacceptable, and Rewarding Service

A Christian who fully understands the mercies of God will gladly offer himself for the Lord’s service.There are distinguishing elements between acceptable service and unacceptable service. However, the following will help us understand instances in which our services can be acceptable or unacceptable.

Acceptable service: There are services done with all our hearts, as unto the Lord and not unto people. For God to accept any service rendered unto Him, a disciple must first accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. This qualifies a person to be acceptable by God and for God to accept his service (2 Corinthians 8: 5).

Holiness: The life of the one serving must be holy if it will be acceptable to God. Our faithfulness in managing those resources determines whether our services will be acceptable or not.

Zeal: Passion towards God’s work distinguishes whether our service will be acceptable or not. He did it wholeheartedly and willingly.

Gladness and Joy: A service that will be acceptable to God is one rendered willingly and not out of coercion. Such service brings fulfillment. If you grump and murmur your service may be unacceptable to God (Psalm 100: 2).

Humility: Rendering service with arrogance will not be acceptable to God. We should be able to come down to the level of others. Humility is a reflection of God’s word in love, respect, truth, and service to God and humanity (John 13: 14- 17).

Love: Service performed without love is unacceptable. He came to serve humankind unconditionally. Unless we initiate Him, our service becomes unacceptable.

Biblical examples of acceptable service

Dorcas: It is unclear whether Dorcas was poor or a widow but one way the Bible describes her is by her service to the poor and widows in Joppa. Dorcas’ service to her community cannot be overemphasized as recorded in the Bible. Check the evidence of her loving service (Acts 9: 26).

The Macedonian Church: Macedonians were also good examples of people who gave to the Lord cheerfully even out of their poverty; they were willing to give an acceptable offering to God. And so, Paul commended their attitude toward giving (2 Corinthians 8: 1-9).

Paul: Paul used every strategy he could to encourage Philemon to accept Onesimus, a runaway slave, back into his home and to reconcile both of them. Paul humbly praised Philemon with Onesimus with enthusiasm and admiration so that he could welcome Onesimus as he would welcome Paul himself. This is a beautiful example of someone using his influence to speak on behalf of someone else (Philemon 8: 25).

Biblical examples of unacceptable service

Cain: Cain and Abel were brothers. They both brought offering to the Lord. An unacceptable service fails in one of these – attitude, action, or relationship with God (Genesis 4: 1-7).

Ananias and Saphira: Ananias and Saphira were a couple who sold a piece of property and publicly brought the proceeds to the Apostles. What they were seeking was an honor and a name for themselves. They looked generous, but they gave for the sake of status, not love for God and the believers (Acts 5: 1-11).

Rewards for acceptable service

  1. Serving others brings joy and peace that comes from obedience to God’s word (1 Peter 4:10-11).
  2. When believers serve God and others, they become like Jesus.
  3. Serving others brings us rewards not only on earth but also in eternity. It also increases our faith in God. Read for more information (Ephesians 3: 20).
  4. Faithful service allows us to experience God’s presence in new ways.
  5. Serving does more good for believers’ souls. Tapping into our gifts and greater task.
  6. When we serve God and others, it helps us bond with each other. Read for more information (Hebrews 10: 24-25).

Biblical Applications 

It has been discovered that service is very important for Christ’s disciples. As Christ’s disciples, we are called to emulate Jesus Christ by reaching out to lost souls and everyone that comes our way. We are at a time when teaching on service continues to be unpopular whereas. God wants us to pursue servanthood as a way of being blessed.

Unity: Everyone must service towards achieving the same goal or purpose when it comes to God’s service. The account in Genesis 11: 1- 9 gives a picture of the achievement people could attain when there is unity in rendering service.

Love: When love for God and other people becomes your driving force, no price will be too great to pay to serve. Love will propel your availability for service. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he declared that having received freedom from the law, believers are to live a life characterized by love in service to others (Galatians 5: 13-14)

Faith: Faith in Christ qualifies a Christian for service (Hebrews 11: 6). Faith occurs when one has called you to serve and you believed.

Humility: Humility is another biblical application for service. Jesus Christ set the ultimate example of service and sacrifices when He humbled Himself before God and Philippian believers to consider other people’s interests first in whatever they do. (Philippians 2: 3-8).

Prayers

  1. Lord, help us to render acceptable service to You always in the name of Jesus Christ.
  2. Father, do not let all my service on this earth be in vain in the name of Jesus.
  3. O God, every unacceptable service shall be withdrawn from me in Jesus’ name.
  4. Gracious Lord, help me to be fruitful in service to You in Jesus’ name.
  5. Lord Jesus, give me the reward of my service to you in Jesus’ name

Conclusion

This concern is one of the evidence of true faith in Christ Jesus and regeneration person cannot please God. Therefore, Christ’s disciples are under obligation to render satisfactory services to God. We owe Him our life, our will, our trust, and our service of our lives. Whatsoever we do have rewards, whether good or bad. In whatever capacity we may find ourselves, let us serve to bring glory to God.