Loving and Serving
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:1-9
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people …
Ephesians 6:7
Serving can mean many things. It includes everything we do that is wholesome and beneficial to someone or some cause, and everything that is done out of our heart’s desire to make a difference for good in the life and experience of another person or cause.
Christian service is not “self-seeking,” as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:5.
In fact, the meaning of Christian service comes very close to how the Bible describes love. In 1 Corinthians 13, Christian love is described as patient, kind, and not envious, boastful, or proud. All the qualities that describe Christian love can be applied to service as well. Love and service are like twins.
Paul invites us to serve others “wholeheartedly.” This means that true Christian service isn’t done grudgingly, hesitantly, or simply out of a sense of duty. To serve wholeheartedly is to serve willingly and joyfully because we do it as if we “were serving the Lord.”
Service is not done for recognition by others or for the honor that organizations may bestow. We serve because Christ first served us by giving his life “as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
So all of our service is an expression of our gratitude for God’s grace shown to us in the redemption we have received through Christ.
Teach us, Lord, how to serve wholeheartedly. Inspire our minds and incline our hearts to be the kind of people you want us to be. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
About the author — Peter Borgdorff
Dr. Peter Borgdorff has been a pastor and administrator in the Christian Reformed Church for 40 years, most recently serving as executive director till his retirement in 2006. He and his wife, Janet, have five children and 14 grandchildren.
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