6 Things Every Christian Must Know About the Call to Serve

It is a no-brainer that the idea and concept of service and serving are integral aspects of Christianity.

Our Lord Jesus who is the author of our faith, made it clear that he came to serve. In Matthew 20:28 (NKJV), Jesus said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Not only did He announce that He came to serve, He equally taught the apostles that, the path to, and the proof of greatness is service.

In Mark 9:35 (NKJV), Scripture says, “He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

In Luke 22:24-26, we read that,

“There was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.”

Meanwhile, as the apostles taught and wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit, they emphasized that the call into the kingdom is actually a call to serve.

Let’s take a look at the following scriptures:

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10)

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:6 NKJV)

 “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (1 Corinthians 12:7 TLB)

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things). And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:7-11 NKJV)

All these point to us, that every believer, upon redemption is called to dispense service both in the kingdom and beyond because as each one of us comes in, grace and gifts are given to us. No wonder it is often said, that we are saved to serve.

It is important to know however, that apart from the generic call to serve, God may put a special call on certain among His children for certain assignments. For instance, Apostle Paul was given a specific mandate to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15, 26:17-18).

Regardless of whether we have a special call or we are expressing the generic call on all the saints, there are a few truths we always need to keep in mind.

#1. We are Called Because We Need to be Developed

We are not called because we already possess perfect character, talent, or passion, we are called because we need to develop or have the potential to develop these attributes. Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:5 NLT: “It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. Calling the unqualified to qualify them has always been God’s specialty.

#2. A Call to Serve is About Our Wonderful Responsibility to God

A call to serve is not just about finding salvation, it’s about our wonderful responsibility to God. Serving allows the love of the Lord to flow through us to others, strengthening our character and preparing us for our role in God’s Kingdom. We are called to serve, not just as ministers, but in everything we do as we live out our relationship with Christ.

#3. It is a Call to Spiritual Growth

Finding our calling is a meaningful and transformative journey toward spiritual maturity. Embracing a call to serve is an opportunity extended by the Heavenly Father himself, intended to lead us toward greater spiritual growth.

Through our service and experiences, along with effort, faithfulness, and the grace of God, we have the potential to achieve spiritual growth, increase our spiritual strength, and gain wisdom. By doing so, we can become more attuned to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and our wisdom can surpass our own understanding.

#4. It is a Call to Learn Humility

A call to serve is a call to learn greater humility as we serve. We must learn from our Lord Jesus Christ who is our perfect example. We are called to demonstrate, influence, and guide others, just as we have learned from Jesus. Matthew 20:27-28 NKJV says: And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

It is our responsibility to faithfully and honorably care for God’s people, always acting out of love and humility. We can rely on Christ to lead us, and with His guidance, we can effectively lead others. Jesus calls us to actively participate in and promote the kingdom of God, focusing on developing others through service, example, and humility.

#5. A Call to Serve is a Call to Overcome Fear With Faith

Hebrews 10:38 KJV says, “Now the just shall live by faith: But if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” As we serve, we will encounter many challenges. We must not shrink back, we need to stay strong and keep the faith. When we strengthen our faith during tough times, we can relate to the experience of Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 EASY which says; “We receive trouble all the time, but that does not stop us. We do not always know what to do, but we are not afraid to continue. We have many enemies, but we always have friends. People hurt us, but they never destroy us. As we serve Jesus, we know that we may die as he died. Because of that, our lives show that we live because he is alive.”

#6. A Call to Serve is a Special Invitation to be Blessed.

This is because God doesn’t just use people, He rewards them as well (Hebrews 11:6 KJV). Also, Matthew 6:33 NLT says when we seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, God will give us everything we need. When God bestows His blessings upon us, it’s crucial to recognize that these blessings are intended for His kingdom, and we possess nothing. We must be prepared to heed God’s instructions on how to utilize the resources with which He has blessed us. Therefore, we must serve with good intentions. It’s important not to become solely focused on the blessings and lose sight of our duties.

Finally, In our service, let’s ensure that Colossians 3:23 NLT remains our daily goal. It says: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

Our focus should always be to please God wholeheartedly, rather than seeking to please people.