Serving From the Overflow
By Lauren Elliott, Connections and Pathway Minister
When I was 16 and realized that I had no idea what it meant to follow Jesus but had decided I was all in, I realized that if I could hang around the adults or young adults at the church I was attending, I might have a life of joy and peace as they did. It was an escape, of sorts, from a home without Jesus at the center. For me, that is where serving began and has continued.
Sometimes, serving starts as a need for church friends and discipleship. Sometimes, serving comes out of a feeling of obligation. Many of us have been there, too. You may have stepped into serving because someone saw your potential and asked you to use your giftings. Or you may have been serving for years and find yourself in a season where you must remind yourself why you are doing it. I hope this is an encouraging read for you today, no matter the circumstance you find yourself in.
So, why do we serve? What is the point? I know you have plenty on your plate already, or some dishes or laundry you could be doing instead (or maybe ignoring those is your "why," I won't judge!).
What The Word Says About Serving
Unfortunately, nowhere does Jesus say, "Go serve on the first impressions team at church three times a month or volunteer leading a city group for the rest of your life." So, sorry. While He spoke to a different crowd in different time, He was very clear about our attitude, overflow of service, and sacrifice toward others.
When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus responded, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" Matthew 22:36-40
It's the second greatest command to love others as we love ourselves, and we express that through our service to one another, not just on Sunday morning but every moment. When we let Jesus transform how we see others, we receive the same compassion He has for His people, and serving in love overflows from our hearts.
Paul writes in Ephesians 6:7 that whatever we do in serving one another, to do it as though we were serving the Lord himself and not people. Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:10-11, "Serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."
Jesus Himself Models Servanthood
Jesus did not only call us to servanthood with words but also in how He modeled serving to His disciples and beyond. Jesus even says himself in Mark 10:45, "For the Son of Man [He is talking about himself here] came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
From the many healings to providing food, meeting needs, and casting demons out, His mission was to serve and bring God's Kingdom into creation's brokenness. He even washed the disciples' feet as a model of the humility He wants His people to take upon themselves for the love and betterment of others.
Just a reminder! Jesus came, fully man and fully THE God of the universe, himself, to his creation TO SERVE. Mind blown 🤯! Philippians 2 is one of my all-time favorite passages that reveal his nature in this truth, "...rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:7-8
Us Serving Ushers In The Kingdom, And Miracles Small Or Large
In Matthew 25:32-46 Jesus conveys how important our heart posture towards others is. I genuinely believe he is so black and white on this matter because caring for others ushers in the Kingdom here on earth. If we aren't willing to open our eyes to the needs around us AND care for them, we oppose God's will for His creation. We are to love Him wholeheartedly and then love others as ourselves. We are to see others how He sees them – how He sees us, with compassion, grace, and patience (THANK YOU, JESUS!).
Now, we can't meet every need we encounter in a week or even a day sometimes, right? But we CAN bring the Kingdom to our hearts and attitudes towards His people, AND when God speaks gently to you about providing a physical need, you don't deny it.
So, we bring about Kingdom in our attitudes and actions, which can even be miracles to those we serve. Have you ever had the experience where you have served or helped someone, or even just taken a moment to pray with them, and it brought them to tears? When we serve, we allow ourselves to be an answer to other's prayers. Or even create space or a moment that brings about answers to prayers. You could prepare the communion every week. What seems like a small behind-the-scenes task is so meaningful and rich for hundreds who get to remember Christ's death on their behalf and have a moment of communing with the Father that day. There is no small place to serve. All service leads to the Kingdom with the right heart, prayer, and intentionality.
Whatever season you find yourself in—whether you are serving in a sweet spot using your giftings and seeing immediate fruit, or you are sitting under some amazing leaders just to have church friends and
gain some wisdom as to what it looks like to follow Jesus yourself—keep seeking the Lord with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength and loving others as yourself.
Keep serving from a place of overflow from the Father, where His grace flows through you in all you do. Keep asking Him to bring the Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven through your service to Him. As we love, obey, and imitate Jesus, let us serve in a way that brings His Kingdom to Earth.
Learn more about opportunities to serve others at New City Church by attending your campus’s upcoming Starting Point meeting or visit newcitychurch.com/serve.