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As always, the new year brings new resolutions. Surveys show that sadly, most resolutions never get past the month of January! Even Christians with the best intentions, start of the year with the attitude that they’re going to read the Bible more, be more consistent in attending church—as well as giving more of their time.
So this is an appeal not to lose steam this year! Ask the Lord to strengthen your resolve to complete what you set out to do in 2025!
So let’s talk about serving. What does that look like? Well, for one thing, serving the Lord means serving others.
When we serve others, we serve the Lord. Simple. Not only that, but as we do so, we model Jesus Christ.
The key verse in Mark’s Gospel happens to be:
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
In fact, throughout Scripture, we are told to serve the Lord:
“Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2).
“What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”( Deuteronomy 10:12).
“Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord””(Joshua 24:15).
The apostle Paul commended the church in Thessalonica—
“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God”(1 Thessalonians 1:9).
And the apostle Peter gives us probably the most deepest, clearest answer in our service to the Lord:
“Whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies— in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).
He’s essentially saying that every effort in the service of God is a God-given effort. And that’s the key to Christian service—because God doesn’t need anything. When we serve God, we are not meeting any needs that He has!
So yes, we serve God—but not by presuming to meet his need. Because He owns everything anyway. He doesn’t need your or my supply. We call on Him in need, not the other way around. So why then does God enlist us into his service?
Because that is how he calls us to have a part in accomplishing his purposes. Again—not meeting his needs. And he accomplishes his purposes precisely by supplying the grace to do our work, because it is the giver that gets the glory, and the server gets the joy.
That’s God’s purpose for his church: his glory and the joy of the Lord in his people!
The new year just started! Ask yourself if this is the year that you step up in your service to Him! How amazing would it be to partner with God in serving His people this year?
Happy New Year and happy serving!
Pastor Joe Garofalo
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