The Gift of Service
“The Holy Spirit endows some believers with this gift to fill the many gaps of ministry and meet the needs of the church as it fulfills the Great Commission. The goal is to energize the church and free up others to use their gifts to the fullest. The result is the continued edification of the church and the added ability to see beyond its own needs and reach out into the community.”
I believe this gift is one that many people have. As the above quote says, we are all called by the Great Commission and as such there are many people who need to help us reach it. As Jesus showed his disciples by washing their feet, service is not usually a glamorous job. Those who have this gift know that they are to do all they can to bring people to God’s table and in doing so, must feed them.
I am always struck by the intuition that is also present in those who have this gift. They not only choose those jobs of service no one else would touch but intuit the need before others even think about it. In the work of the church, there need to be both Marys and Marthas to bring God’s kingdom into focus.
For those of us who do not have the spiritual gift of service, we are still called to exercise this gift with the possibility of gaining skills in this area. So here are four ideas to ease into welcoming others while using some of your God-given spiritual gifts:
1. Say Thank You
Your Sunday school teachers may be taking a well-deserved rest in the summer. If they are, this is the perfect time to gift them with a gift of your service. It need not be any expensive gift—iron their clothes that need it, help them paint a room in their home or wash their car. In this way, you are showing your care for them through service.
2. Service Bank Please!
There are many skilled people in your church who are both willing and able to share their gifts with one another. It may be being able to get a member a good deal on a car, or mending clothes that are still good, or even teaching a skill like handy work, carpentry, knitting, etc. Ask the church secretary to begin an email or a physical list of people’s names, their email addresses and phone numbers, and the services they are willing to share with others. Sometimes all it takes is another set of hands or skills to get the job done.
3. Service in Your Community
Covenant with yourself and God to begin walking every day. When you do so, grab a bag and pick up trash as you walk. You may want to have two bags—one for trash and one for recycling. If you want to get fancy, take a grabber with you to save your back. If you have one, take a kid with you so they can see your example of service.
4. Service List
Make a list of services in your community to have on hand in case you have someone in need. You may also want to have a list of local stores and services and commit to frequent them. These stores and vendors have had a hard time this past year and need your business.