Serving Others as an Act of Worship AND Obedience

Some friends and I were talking the other day when one of them asked if we thought serving others was an act of worship or act of obedience (?).

My dear reader—what is your gut response to this question?

It is a thought I’ve spent considerable time meditating on since my friend asked this somewhat challenging question.

I believe that serving others is deeply intertwined with both our worship and our obedience of God. When we serve others we reflect the Lord’s love and compassion through our words and actions towards others.

Serving others is a very tangible expression of our love for God. We reflect the character and love of God when we serve others.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

Throughout His life and ministry, Jesus taught people the importance of service as a form of expressing our love for God and our neighbors. Serving others gives us the opportunity to love others as ourselves. It leads us to treat people like we want to be treated.

Do you recall the passage in the Gospel of John describing how Jesus served the disciples by washing their feet?

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:1-17 (NIV)

Jesus is our ultimate example of service. Christ demonstrated to His followers that service is an act of love and humility, teaching us that serving others is a path to true greatness in the Kingdom of God. Therefore, when we serve others, we imitate Christ.

Surely you recall the passage described in multiple Gospels about Mary anointing Jesus’s feet with oil?

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

John 12:3 (ESV)

Serving others, therefore, is not merely a duty or a moral good; it is a profound expression of love for God, rooted in a desire to imitate His character, obey His commands, and participate in His work in the world. And when we are doing that, then we are worshiping God fully and wholeheartedly.

Indeed, serving others is both an act of worship AND obedience.

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12:11-13 (ESV)

Serving others is an act of worship deeply rooted in Scripture, reflecting a holistic understanding that worship is not confined to singing songs or participating in religious rituals alone, but encompasses every aspect of our lives, including how we treat and serve one another.

Serving others is a demonstration of obedience because it aligns our lives with God’s will, reflects His character, fulfills His commandments, and actively shows our faith and love for Him. Through service, we offer our lives as a living sacrifice, pleasing to God, as we participate in the work of reflecting His love to the world.

What do you think? I look forward to reading your comments!

My challenge to you today is for you to serve someone by paying it forward. Maybe, buy the cup of coffee or the meal for the person sitting behind you in the drive-thru. If you’re really feeling generous and want to serve someone—buy their groceries! Do these acts of service as a way to show someone the love of Jesus.

May the Lord bless you and watch over you. May He guide and direct your path in all that you think, say, and do.

Tell someone about Jesus today!

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™