strength in the serving

how pouring out fills us up

Have you ever noticed that when you’re feeling tired, stressed, or maybe even a little lost, one of the best things you can do is help someone else?

I know, it sounds backwards. You’d think serving would drain you more, especially if you are already worn out.  But somehow it does the opposite—it fills you. Research shows that helping others releases endorphins in the brain, also known as the body’s “natural pain reliever.”  It improves our mood and give us a sense of well-being.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Our amazing Creator knew what He was doing when He made us.  It is His desire for us to love and serve each other, and He blesses us with a shot of vitality when we do.

It is His desire for us to love and serve each other, and He blesses us with a shot of vitality when we do.

Whenever I’ve taken any kind of spiritual giftings test, “service” is always one of my top results.  I truly enjoy meeting practical needs of others, and it is one of my husband’s giftings as well.  We’ve served in many different capacities in our church for 40 years, many times in the same ministry.  Words just can’t express how fulfilling and life-changing those experiences have been, stretching, molding, and shaping me into the person I am.  When I think about the benefits of serving, my mind lands on a few specific thoughts.

God can use serving to help you discover your purpose.  Every serving opportunity I took on was not fabulous.  Sometimes serving helps you figure out what you are NOT good at doing (and that’s totally okay), but sometimes you end up discovering talents and passions that you never knew you had.  I had been a stay-at-home mom with three children when I started leading the preschool Sunday school class at my church. It was there that I found a love for teaching.  I moved on to serving in our K-5 kids’ church, and I undoubtedly knew I wanted to get my teaching degree.  God moved in so many amazing ways during that time, and with an enormous amount of support from my husband I earned my elementary education degree and have been teaching fifth graders for 23 years.

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

Serving others can do wonders for your perspective.  So many opportunities to serve involve helping those in need.  What a way to change your frame of reference!  We’ve taken our 5th and 6th graders on missions trips to serve the different communities we visited.  My church has also been serving at a homeless shelter, providing and serving meals for those in need.  Seeing what others are going through will surely change your inward mindset to looking outward, beyond yourself.  Everyone we served was incredibly grateful and did not hesitate to express their gratitude and appreciation over and over.  Sometimes my husband and I have been able to serve alongside our children, which has been a wonderful way to strengthen family bonds.  I also see the impact of being a family that serves in the professions my children have chosen.  You simply can’t walk away from those moments without being changed.  

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  Acts 20:35 ESV

Lastly, serving others helps your faith to grow.  Seeing other people’s transformations and getting a first-hand view of God’s work can strengthen your connection and trust in Him.  I served as a camp counselor for several years at our church’s summer camp.  Spending 24/7 with 8–10-year-olds was entirely exhausting!  But being with them each night at the church services was beyond unbelievable.  Witnessing what the Lord was doing in their lives, praying with them, and seeing the Spirit of the Lord resting all over their faces grew my faith exponentially.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.  Hebrews 10:25 NLT

Through the years I’ve learned that for me, helping others is one of the purest forms of worship. It’s in those moments of compassion and kindness that I feel closest to God. Whether it’s encouraging a ten-year-old, making up a plate of food for a father and son who have fallen on hard times, or simply smiling and sharing a word of hope, I see each opportunity as a divine appointment—a chance to let His love flow through me.

Through the years I’ve learned that for me, helping others is one of the purest forms of worship. It’s in those moments of compassion and kindness that I feel closest to God.

I’m deeply grateful for every experience that has taught and reminded me that God’s purpose often unfolds through serving others. His grace equips us, His Spirit guides us, and His love sustains us.

My prayer is that I never take these opportunities for granted. That I continue to say “yes” when He calls. And that through everything I do, people don’t just see me—they see Him.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” — Colossians 3:23