How to serve God as a Christian

In a previous post, I shared about the realities of working with God. The fact that our Heavenly Father has made us co-laborers with him. Here’s how the Bible puts it:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10

This was always God’s plan; a people who will work with Him to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. In understanding the nature of the Christian walk and work, I believe there are five principles to consider.

Five clear principles about God’s work

1. Doing the father’s work is all-encompassing

The truth is that God’s work is an all-or-nothing work. It is not something we do a bit of and then go on with our lives, like many of us would like. I certainly felt this way. I would volunteer at church and with charities, telling myself I had filled my quota for ‘godly work.’

Sadly, I often did these things without confirming if it was what God wanted. It was often about doing the bare-minimum to be considered a good Christian. Thank God the Holy Spirit convicted me of my attitude.

Here’s what our Lord said about doing God’s work.

“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

John 4:34

“Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”

John 5:19

2. Doing God’s work is about stewardship 

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines stewardship as the “careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”

This is illustrated in the Parable of the Talents; I have provided an excerpt below (read the full story here):

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability…for to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have even what he has will be taken from him.”

Matthew 25:14-15, 29

The parable of the talents is an instructive depiction of God’s call on our lives and how we respond.

Many of us focus on what others have and forget that each of us has been given according to our ability. We say God is being unfair or partial rather than work with what we have.

We often complain, compare, and compete and end up missing out the beauty and privilege of working with God.

“The one who manages the little he has been given with faithfulness and integrity will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more.”

Luke 16:10(TPT)

What kind of steward are you?

How have you handled the resources that have been placed in your hands, whether small or how big?

3. We were made to serve not to be served

The work of the servant is about service. We were created to serve and not be served.

In Genesis 2:15, the Bible records that God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to tend to and watch over it.

Did you catch that?

The Garden of Eden was not created for man’s comfort but for man’s service.

“You know that the rulers of this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first amongst you must be your slave for the Son of Man cam not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28

Apostle Paul refers to this in his letter to the Galatians:

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

Galatians 5:13

4. The fruit of our work must be borne out of our relationship with God 

Our fruitfulness must be directly tied to our service to our lord and master. We bear good fruit when we subject our choices and desires to his will.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

John 15:4

5. The work of the servant never ends.

Perhaps this was not what you had hoped.

Like me, you may have imagined that working for God was for a definite period, like a career and at some point, you can retire and go on to live life on your terms.

Thankfully, it does not work that way because we all know that if we are left to our own devices, we will likely live a life of self-satisfaction, greed, and avarice.

Our work as God’s elect never ends until we leave this earth.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Philippians 1:6

Being a co-labourer is a privilege

It is indeed a privilege to serve a God who longs to work in and through us. A God who has good plans for us and wishes to use us to do exploits and to save mankind.

So the next time you are feeling tired or looking to do the bare minimum, I hope you remember that working with God is a blessing and a loving privilege.