I believe every Christian should find some way to serve their local church—not necessarily by doing what I do, but by doing whatever God has given them to do.
The Bible describes the church as the body of Christ (all believers working together as parts of Christ’s body).
You have something to contribute to your local church. God has given every believer gifts, abilities, and a purpose.
If all we ever do is sit in church and receive, we can become like a baby who is always being fed but never growing.
Think about a bodybuilder.
A bodybuilder has a simple cycle:
Then:
Feed. Exercise. Rest.
That is how the body grows.
In the same way, Christians need to be spiritually fed by God’s Word, exercise their faith by putting God’s Word into practice, and rest in the Lord.
But there is an important difference between physical training and walking with God.
With the Lord, there is also joy.
The Bible says that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The kingdom of God (God’s rule and authority in our lives) is not simply about working harder and doing more.
There is joy in serving God.
There is peace in serving God.
There is righteousness (living in a right relationship with God) through Jesus Christ.
When we live under the authority of Jesus, we discover what He meant when He said:
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus understands that you have to go to work.
He understands that you have responsibilities.
You have to make a living. You have bills to pay. You have a family to take care of.
But ultimately, we work so that we can produce something that can be given back to God and used for His purposes.
We work to give.
And God provides our harvest.
If you’re married and have children, putting God first is one of the greatest examples you can give your family.
Your children are watching you.
They are watching how you respond when things don’t go your way.
They are watching whether you trust God.
They are watching whether your faith is real.
When your children see you walking by faith, they see something beyond theory. They see something beyond religious words.
They see the fruit (the results that come from something) of faith.
Just the other day, I was believing God for a certain amount of money for our anniversary.
I wasn’t counting the money that was already in our personal or business bank accounts. I was simply believing God for a specific amount.
I asked the Lord for it.
I received it by faith in Jesus’ name.
And then I said, “Lord, I trust You.”
I was recording something when suddenly a notification appeared on my phone.
Someone had sent me the exact thing I had been believing God for—and it was actually four times more than what I had asked for.
Thank You, Lord!
Hallelujah!
I give You all the glory.
I’m not telling that story to show off. I’m making a point.
This is one reason we study the Word of God.
While the world is constantly hustling and chasing after money and other things, God’s people can learn to trust Him.
Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
A lot of people remember the first part but forget the second part.
Every person has a purpose before God.
The question is whether we are willing to submit ourselves to God’s purpose.
Being called (being given a purpose or assignment by God) doesn’t necessarily mean you are supposed to build a huge ministry.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you are supposed to preach to thousands of people.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you are supposed to start a church.
God may call one person to do something that looks very important to everyone else.
He may call another person to do something that nobody notices.
But both can be equally important to God.
The question is not:
The question is:
The Bible often describes believers as servants of Jesus Christ.
Paul sometimes called himself a bondservant (a person who willingly chooses to serve another).
This is a powerful picture.
A bondservant had the right to go free, but could choose to remain with his master because of his love and commitment.
That is how we should approach Jesus.
We have been set free.
We are not slaves to sin.
We are not controlled by Satan.
We have been given the freedom to choose.
And yet, because we love Jesus, we willingly say:
Imagine God tells someone:
“Your assignment is to volunteer at your local church and serve wherever your pastor asks you to serve.”
Maybe that is all God ever asks that person to do.
If they faithfully do that for the rest of their life, they have succeeded in God’s eyes.
They don’t need to build a huge ministry.
They don’t need to become famous.
They don’t need a million followers.
They simply need to be faithful.
Jesus said:
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
That is what we should want to hear.
Jesus also gave a serious warning.
There will be people who do impressive things in His name.
They may preach.
They may start ministries.
They may perform miracles.
They may prophesy (speak a message believed to come from God).
They may lay hands on the sick and pray for healing.
They may even cast out demons (evil spiritual beings).
Yet Jesus warned that some people will still hear:
“Depart from me, workers of iniquity. I never knew you.”
Why?
Because God is not only looking at what we do.
God looks at why we do it.
God Looks at the Heart
With God, it always comes back to the heart.
Motivation matters.
We should absolutely learn to become good doers of the Word (people who actually practice what God’s Word teaches).
We should pursue wisdom.
We should become skillful.
We should do things with excellence.
This isn’t an excuse for laziness or sloppy work.
But excellence by itself does not make us spiritual.
The question is:
Sometimes Christians think spirituality looks a certain way.
Maybe it means wearing a suit and tie.
Maybe it means growing a beard.
Maybe it means wearing linen.
Maybe it means wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
Maybe it means growing your hair long.
Maybe it means looking like a particular Christian culture from a particular generation.
But none of those things automatically make a person spiritual.
A person can wear a three-piece suit and have a carnal mind (a way of thinking controlled by worldly desires rather than God’s Spirit).
A person can dress like a hippie and have a carnal mind.
A person can look extremely religious and still not be walking by faith and love.
The clothing isn’t the issue.
The heart is the issue.
Paul teaches that the purpose of God’s commandment is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.
A pure heart (a heart that sincerely desires God) matters.
A good conscience (an inner sense of right and wrong that is clear before God) matters.
A sincere faith (faith that is genuine rather than pretending) matters.
Growing a beard isn’t going to make me more spiritual.
Wearing linen isn’t going to make me more spiritual.
I happen to like linen. I don’t like synthetic clothing against my skin. I prefer cotton or linen.
But none of that makes me closer to God.
There is nothing wrong with dressing nicely for church.
In fact, there is biblical reasoning behind presenting ourselves respectfully before God.
In the Old Testament, God’s people were often told to wash themselves, wash their clothes, and set themselves apart before coming before the Lord.
This teaches us something important:
But we shouldn’t dress a certain way simply to impress other people.
Some people dress conservatively.
Some dress formally.
Others come from cultures where formal clothing looks completely different.
That’s okay.
We don’t need to judge everybody else.
Our responsibility is to honor God with what we have.
Even though we live in a world of digital payments and bank transfers, the principle of giving to God hasn’t changed.
We don’t want to come before the Lord with an attitude of:
“What can I get?”
We want to come with:
“Lord, what can I give?”
My own mother taught me this when I was growing up.
When someone gave me money, she would tell me that some of it belonged to the Lord.
That taught me something important about honoring God.
Giving is not simply about money.
It is about the heart.
It is about trusting God.
It is about saying:
“Everything I have ultimately comes from You.”
This brings us back to what it means to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ.
Jesus has set us free.
We can willingly choose to serve Him.
We don’t have to be controlled by sin.
We don’t have to be controlled by addictions.
We don’t have to be controlled by fear.
We don’t have to be controlled by Satan.
The blood of Jesus (the sacrificial death of Jesus that provides forgiveness and cleansing from sin) speaks of our redemption.
Redemption (being bought back and set free) is one of the great themes of the Bible.
Jesus has redeemed us from sin and from the curse of the law.
He is also continuing to transform us as we learn to live in the freedom He has given us.
The Holy Spirit is our guarantee (God’s promise and assurance that what He has begun in us will be completed).
There is an inward witness—a deep assurance within us—that we belong to God.
The Holy Spirit reminds us that we are His.
And because of Jesus, we have hope beyond this life.
When we die, we will be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
That is our hope.
So be willing to be God’s servant.
Be willing to do whatever He leads you to do.
Maybe He gives you a large assignment.
Maybe He gives you a small assignment.
Maybe people will see what you do.
Maybe nobody will see it.
It doesn’t matter.
If God tells you to clean the toilets at your church, clean those toilets for the glory of God.
If He tells you to preach, preach.
If He tells you to give, give.
If He tells you to serve behind the scenes, serve behind the scenes.
If He tells you to help one person, help that one person.
Don’t compare your assignment with somebody else’s.
Be faithful with what God has placed in your hands.
We don’t need to chase fame.
We don’t need to chase recognition.
We don’t need to prove ourselves to other people.
We need to hear:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
That is the goal.
God is looking at our hearts.
He wants us to walk in faith, love, obedience, humility, and service.
So walk with Him.
Trust Him.
Serve Him.
Give to Him.
And be faithful with whatever He has asked you to do.
Work out your own salvation (live out and grow in the salvation God has given you) with reverence and trust in God.
Peace and love.
In Jesus’ holy name.