Spiritual Growth through Service
Are you looking to grow closer to the Lord, but you’re not sure how? You already do “all the things:” participate in church, pray, read your Bible, but you feel you’re missing something. Are you actively serving others? Could that be what you’re missing?
We know the excuses: “How can I make a difference?” “I don’t have anything to offer.” “That’s really not needed.” And perhaps the most common excuse: “I don’t have time.”
Now consider Galatians 5:13 (NIV): “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
As Christians, we are commanded not only to serve but also to serve humbly and in love. Keep reading to see five benefits of taking this command seriously.
Following Jesus’ Example Leads to Our Growth: When we serve others, we follow Jesus’ example to put others first. When we put our ego aside, we grow in humility, selflessness, empathy, strength, love, and compassion. We better understand the needs of others and learn a more caring approach to viewing the world. (Mark 10:43-45 (NIV) “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must by slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”)
Serving is a Way to Worship God: Sometimes we forget that serving others can actually be a way to worship. (Colossians 3:23 (NIV) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”) We should be willing to serve because we love God, and our service should be a way to glorify His name.
Serving Can Strengthen Faith: Service helps us strengthen our faith by building relationships with others who share similar values. These experiences help us connect and build stronger communities. And as our faith matures, we strengthen our bond with God. (Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) “So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”)
Serving Can Help Us Learn to depend on Him: When you step out in faith to serve, you may quickly realize you don’t have all the answers. And that’s ok. Embrace your vulnerability, and become teachable. Recognize your own limitations, and allow others to minister to you. Seek God’s presence by engaging in prayer and study, and draw wisdom and strength from Him. (I Peter 4:11 (NIV) “If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”)
Serving Helps Us Live out Our Beliefs: Service provides opportunities for us to live out our beliefs and share our faith with others. What a great way to build relationships with nonbelievers! When we show kindness, love, and generosity, they see Jesus. But sometimes the hardest people to serve are the farthest from God, so we must remember they may be the people who need to see Jesus in us the most. (Galatians 5:13-14 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”)
One by One Ministries provides an outlet for Christian women to serve pregnant and new moms. We provide free training and give you all the materials you need to serve a mom. When you become a mentor with us, you:
Follow Jesus’ example and grow in humility, love, and compassion. One of our moms recently said, “If it’s in your heart to mentor, please do it! You can change someone’s quality of life just by being a smiling face and godly reminder that we are not alone.”
Live out your beliefs and strengthen your faith: One by One also provides training to help you become comfortable sharing your faith if that’s new to you. We also offer opportunities for mentors to disciple the moms they serve. By volunteering alongside other Christian women, you will have the opportunity to lift others up and receive support as you need it. One of our moms recently said, “My mentor has helped me majorly in my spiritual journey. She is always there for me, and it has been a joy to connect with each other through God.”
Learn to depend on God: At One by One, we believe strongly in prayer. As a mentor, you may face challenges that you feel unequipped to handle. We provide tangible resources that can assist moms in many situations, but we also depend on the Lord to direct us in wisdom and to intervene on our moms’ behalves. Each mentor has a prayer partner who supports her and her mom, and our staff begins each week in prayer for our moms and our volunteers. One of our moms shared, “We were expecting to see my beautiful baby girl, but then had a traumatic birth experience. My mentor brought the light of Christ into the situation helping me to still see God’s hand on us and on my child.”
If you are looking for a way to serve and have a heart for new moms, we would love to hear from you. We hear time and time and time again from our volunteers that they thought they were mentoring in order to bless a mom but learned quickly that they were the ones being blessed by the new relationships they formed. Many of our mentors and moms form deep friendships, and they continue to meet even after their time in our program is complete. Click here if you’re ready to learn more and take your first step in serving a new mom.