Question 7

Are you a servant?

If you ever run in an organized race, whether a 5K fun run or a marathon, you know the starting line is one of the most exciting places on the course. You are surrounded by decorations, fellow runners, and a crowd cheering you on your way. As wonderful as the starting line is, we all know there is more to a race than the beginning. The same is true when we become Christians. Our baptism into Christ is the starting line of our new life, and we are surrounded by people who are encouraging us. The next question we face is an important one: will I continue to serve God?

It is important to be willing to say I believe in God, but it is also vital that I show my faith by the way I live. Here is how James describes the relationship between faith and action in James 1:22-25 –

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

If someone looked at your daily routine and weekly schedule, would they be able to see your faith in action? Why not make a list of all the talents and abilities you have been given, and then reflect on how you can use those to serve God?

You might be intimidated by an area of service, or maybe you worry about a lack of experience. Remember that none of us is ever fully prepared when we start serving God. The best way to start is just to start.

Sometimes physical challenges can keep us from doing everything we want to. Remember that God understands where you are, and there are likely some areas of service you may never have considered. Here is a list of possible ways to serve, just to get you started:

Volunteer to help with a children’s Bible class in your congregation (teachers always need extra help).
Find a weekly activity where you can regularly help others. It may be a meals-on-wheels program, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or maybe just doing yard work for a neighbor who is unable to do it anymore.
Go on a mission trip – it is always great to get to know Christians in other places, and these trips encourage spiritual growth.
Invite a few people over for prayer or study time (and then maybe something to eat). When our relationships with other Christians are growing, it is easier for us to grow closer to God.

God bless you as you serve Him!