Free to Serve One Another

Pastor Gary Oser

We are presently living in what we might refer to as a “me-first” culture. The predominant questions in the minds of many people are: What’s in it for me? How will it impact me? How will I be served? However, there is another statement which contradicts the prevailing attitude of society. The Word of God encourages us as believers to serve one another.

Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.” First Peter 4:10 adds, “Each one of you should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in various forms.”

I would like to share just a couple of great examples of people serving others. The first would be Jesus. The setting was the Upper Room before the disciples shared in the Last Supper. The disciples were gathered there, but no one had washed their feet as was the custom. Jesus arrived. If there was anybody who deserved to have his feet washed by another, it was Jesus.

Instead, John 13:4-5 reports, “Jesus 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.” Jesus assumed the role of a servant and served His disciples by washing their feet.

Another great example of serving others is the great evangelist D.L. Moody.

A group of pastors from Europe came to the Northfield Bible Conference in Massachusetts. Following a custom in Europe, each guest put his shoes outside the door of his hotel room expecting them to be cleaned by what were referred to as “hall servants.” There was one problem. There were no “hall servants” to clean the shoes in America.

Moody saw the shoes and expressed the need for help in cleaning them to some ministerial students. His request was met with silence and pious excuses. With that, Moody himself gathered up the shoes, polished them and returned them to where he found them. The next morning the guests found their shoes had been shined, but they didn’t know by whom.

Jesus well said in Mark 10:43-44, “…whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Are you more interested in being served, or are you willing to humble yourself and get involved in serving others?

The context of the statement serve one another in Galatians 5:13 is that Christ, by paying the price for our sins, has set us free. Because of the freedom we enjoy in Christ, we should not use our freedom for selfish purposes, but rather, to serve one another.

Are you more interested in serving others than being served? What can you do in a practical way to live out the words of Galatians 5:13b, “…serve one another in love?”