“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11

Serving the Lord is something often professed more than practiced. Many mistakenly assume that serving God is the work of ministers or church leaders alone. In reality, every Christian is called to serve, and it is important that we understand what that calling truly involves.

At its core, serving the Lord can be summed up in two simple words: following Jesus. He is our perfect example. Jesus said of Himself, “The Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). To His disciples He declared, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).

With Christ as our model, serving the Lord- particularly in the context of our local church, can be understood through three essential qualities.

1. Obedient Service

For the Christian, serving the Lord is never presented as an option. Jesus taught, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:10).

The life of our Lord was marked by perfect obedience to the Father’s will, offered in loving devotion. If we are truly serving Him, that same spirit of obedience will be evident in us, however imperfectly. Christian service flows not from compulsion, but from submission to God’s authority and trust in His purposes.

2. Joyful Service

The psalmist exhorts us to “serve the Lord with gladness.” Yet experience in ministry reveals that some church members never serve in any capacity, others serve only when it is convenient and do so reluctantly. Still others serve for recognition, seeking the approval of people rather than the pleasure of God.

Scripture warns against this kind of service, calling us instead to serve “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).

If our service feels more like a burden than a blessing, we must ask whether we are truly serving the Lord. Those who walk in close communion with Christ count it a joy and privilege to serve Him, recognizing that all they are and all they possess belong to God. John Newton’s hymn expresses this beautifully:

Our pleasure and our duty, though opposite before; Since we have seen His beauty, are joined to part no more.

3. Faithful Service

Scripture teaches that every believer has been gifted for service and entrusted as a steward of God’s grace (1 Peter 4:10–11). The primary requirement of a steward is faithfulness. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Faithfulness is a quality within reach of every Christian. The humblest act of service, faithfully carried out, is far better than the most impressive work done inconsistently or insincerely. May it be our earnest desire to live in such a way that we one day hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”