You were created to serve God. The Bible says, “[God] has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.”1 These “good deeds” are your service. Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God2 and fulfilling one of your purposes. In the next two chapters you will see how God has carefully shaped you for this purpose. What God told Jeremiah is also true for you: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.”3 You were placed on this planet for a special assignment.
You were saved to serve God. The Bible says, “It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work, not because we deserved it but because that was his plan.”4 God redeemed you so you could do his “holy work.” You’re not saved by service, but you are saved for service. In God’s kingdom, you have a place, a purpose, a role, and a function to fulfill. This gives your life great significance and value.
DAY TWENTY-NINE: ACCEPTING YOUR ASSIGNMENT
It cost Jesus his own life to purchase your salvation. The Bible reminds us, “God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.”5 We don’t serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what he’s done for us. We owe him our lives. Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured. In light of these incredible benefits Paul concluded, “Because of God’s great mercy…Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service.”6
The apostle John taught that our loving service to others shows that we are truly saved. He said, “Our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life.”7 If I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, and I’m only concerned about my needs, I should question whether Christ is really in my life. A saved heart is one that wants to serve.
Another term for serving God that’s misunderstood by most people is the word ministry. When most people hear “ministry,” they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergy, but God says every member of his family is a minister. In the Bible, the words servant and minister are synonyms, as are service and ministry. If you are a Christian, you are a minister, and when you’re serving, you’re ministering.
If I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, I should question whether Christ is really in my life.
When Peter’s sick mother-in-law was healed by Jesus, she instantly “stood up and began to serve Jesus,”8 using her new gift of health. This is what we’re to do. We are healed to help others. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to serve, not to sit around and wait for heaven.
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just immediately take us to heaven the moment we accept his grace? Why does he leave us in a fallen world? He leaves us here to fulfill his purposes. Once you are saved, God intends to use you for his goals. God has a ministry for you in his church and a mission for you in the world.
You are called to serve God. Growing up, you may have thought that being “called” by God was something only missionaries, pastors, nuns, and other “full-time” church workers experienced, but the Bible says every Christian is called to service.9 Your call to salvation included your call to service. They are the same. Regardless of your job or career, you are called to full-time Christian service. A “non-serving Christian” is a contradiction in terms.
The Bible says, “He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose.”10 Peter adds, “You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you.”11 Anytime you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.
The Bible says, “Now you belong to him…in order that we might be useful in the service of God.”12 How much of the time are you being useful in the service of God? In some churches in China, they welcome new believers by saying “Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new ears to listen with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with.”
One reason why you need to be connected to a church family is to fulfill your calling to serve other believers in practical ways. The Bible says, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”13 Your service is desperately needed in the Body of Christ—just ask any local church. Each of us has a role to play, and every role is important. There is no small service to God; it all matters.