THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF SERVICE

Summary: The “spiritual discipline of service” refers to the intentional practice of putting the needs of others before your own, actively choosing to help and serve others with a selfless heart, often seen as a way to cultivate compassion and grow closer to God by following Jesus’ example of serving others; it’s about seeing needs and meeting them without expecting anything in return, essentially becoming a servant to others.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45.

Jesus redefined service by demonstrating humility and selflessness, showing that true greatness lies in serving others rather than being served, which fundamentally altered how the world viewed the role of a servant. Jesus, despite being the Son of God and the Messiah, chose to serve. He stated, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Serving others is a spiritual discipline. A spiritual discipline is a practice that, with the Holy Spirit’s help, one works at developing to grow spiritually and become more Christlike.  Although our service is directed outward to enrich others, the real benefits of a spiritual discipline belong to the believer who practices it.

God calls us to serve just as Jesus served us. Jesus was the ultimate example of a servant because He served others and sacrificed His life for our salvation. We have the example of Jesus to look up to and model. By serving others, we reflect Christ’s love and bring glory to God. In John 13:1-7, we see a towel as a sign of service. In this passage, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. In our day, this would not seem to be a massive act of service, but in Jesus’ day, it was. Not only was it the lowest of duties, but Jesus volunteered to do it.

Through serving, we can experience the joy and fulfillment of living out our faith and spreading love and kindness to those around us. A good way to get started for those of us whose first instinct is to spectate rather than participate is to join the church’s work by offering your talents. Get involved in an area where you have confidence and comfort. Another way to develop service discipline is to see and meet a need.  Serving others can also mean looking out for their needs. Perhaps a neighbor needs help with yard work, or a friend’s car broke down, and they need a ride. We can serve others through little acts of kindness if we look out for their needs. It may require us to step out of our comfort zone, but loving our neighbors can be as easy as seeing and meeting a need out of a heart for God.

Repeatedly practicing the discipline of service can lead to a heart of compassion that naturally leads to serving others. Serving is a discipline for sharing God’s love with others. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of the God-given gifts you have? How can God use you to serve others by using those gifts?
2. What’s the point of us serving others?