How to Glorify God with Acts of Service

The life of every Christian should be filled with the intention to glorify God in all that we do. We are called to serve, worship, glorify and, above all, love Him. There are many ways to glorify God in practical everyday ways, which often feels easier said than done. Today we will focus on one way that should take a front-row seat in the daily lives of Christians. How do we glorify God through acts of service, and why should we?

¹³ For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity^[a] for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Galatians 5:13 CSB

Serve because of freedom in salvation

As Christians, we have accepted Christ in faith as our Savior, setting us free from the bondage and penalty of sin by the grace of God. This freedom is a gift of God only available through faith in Jesus and allows us to live in a way that brings God glory.

⁸ For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 CSB

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are freed from the bondage of sin and are then able to enter into a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. This beautiful gift should fill us up with the desire to please God. We please God when we do His will, serve Him in the ways He calls us to, and share the truth of the Gospel every chance we get.

¹² There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12 CSB

When we have faith in Jesus, we get to participate in God’s plan to bring the truth to every corner of the world. This is a massive act of service in itself and should be taken on as a joyous honor to serve God in this extraordinary way.

Serve the Lord by serving others

By bringing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others we are participating in incredible acts of service to those who hear it as well as to God. Not only telling others about the Gospel but also living in a manner worthy of the Gospel is an act of service.

²⁷ Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord,^[a] contending together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.

Philippians 1:27-28 CSB

When we live obediently to the will of God, with Christ as our example, using our freedom to love and serve others as Christ would, we will bear the fruits of the Spirit in our relationships with others and seek to serve others above ourselves. Our freedom in Christ should not be used selfishly, but selflessly.

⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,^[a] you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:40 ESV

Through serving others, we are serving God, and through serving God we bring Him glory. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus explains that whatever we do to others, we do to Him also. This is an important lesson that we should treat others not only as we would want to be treated, but treat others as Christ. Every person is an image-bearer of Christ, and all are offered the very same free gift of salvation. Christ died for every person and we should be serving them in this manner, with and through the love of Christ.

Let the Holy Spirit guide your acts of service

By accepting Jesus as our Savior in faith, we become set apart for God and to God and are given God’s Holy Spirit as a guide for right living. We learn how to live as followers of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit teaches us also how to live a life of service.

²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:26 ESV

Acts of service don’t come naturally, but we can trust God’s promise that He has given us a guide for our life. God will work in us, transforming us from the inside out, to become more like Christ all the time. As we read and study His Word, grow in our personal relationship with Him through prayer, and turn to Him more and more through all of life’s circumstances we will find God’s Spirit leading, strengthening, reminding, and guiding us.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:26 ESV

Each person will have a unique relationship with God, will be given their unique set of gifts, skills, and circumstances to use for the unique callings which God will give them. We must trust the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit and lean deeper into God through prayer, His Word, and also His people, and be obedient when He calls us to an act of service, knowing it is to Him as well as to others.

Acts of service should be done in love

Through our personal relationship with God, His Holy Spirit, His Word, prayer, and fellowship we learn the ways in which we are called to live to glorify God. We begin to live as Christ, see others the way He does, and treat them with love as God defines love.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, ⁵ is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. ⁶ Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 CSB

By living in obedience to God, we should serve Him willingly and in love. Through serving God and others we should begin to bear fruit in our lives, the fruits of God’s Spirit. This happens naturally as evidence of our faith. Living obediently in love should lead to a desire to serve others, not putting yourself first but putting God and His Kingdom first, and His will for your life above your own.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.^[a]

Galatians 5:22-23 CSB

Grab the free Glory to God Bible Reading Plan

Serve because of Christ’s greatest act of service for our sakes

Through acts of service, we glorify God. By surrendering to Jesus in faith, we receive salvation and are given the Holy Spirit as a guide for our lives. We learn to live as Christ, serve God by serving others as He calls us to, and share the truth of Jesus out of love and a desire to serve the Kingdom by increasing it.

⁴⁵ 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.”^[a]

Mark 10:45 CSB

With Christ as our ultimate example and model for our life, we can’t help but live a life full of service. Willing and joyful acts of service help to increase our own faith, understanding, and relationship with the Lord and also serves to increase the Kingdom of God and encourage others in faith. We should always be ready to use what God has blessed us with to serve others and to serve God and His Kingdom. It all belongs to God, and we should willingly and readily use it for His purposes.

¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11 ESV