Photo by Gustty
You’ve got to wonder, “Why serve others?” This whole site is about serving others, but why do it?
Why Marshall serves others
A couple years ago, someone I barely knew blessed me. He took me aside (which worried me at first because that usually means I’m in trouble) and told me that my example in the church encouraged him to pursue a goal he’d been putting off. It floored me:
1. I didn’t feel like I was living an inspiring example. At the time, I specifically remember struggling with my attitude.
2. I didn’t even know he noticed me. Yes, I knew he saw me each week serving in various ministries, but I didn’t know he noticed anything special about it.
I remember walking away from that conversation intensely thankful for what God was doing in both our lives, even though I’d been oblivious to most of it.
Last year, I created a list of 1,001 reasons I was thankful. I spent a couple days writing it. That list corresponded with Thanksgiving Day. The combination of the list and Thanksgiving created a powerful reminder for me of how blessed I was.
Even this year, in this post-Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas season, I find myself feeling intensely blessed. I have so much. And it’s all been given to me.
What is the result? The more blessed I feel, the more I want to give away. The more gratitude I have, the more I want to serve others. I want everyone – you, your friends, people I don’t even know, everyone – to experience the enthusiasm and joy I have.
Why bondChristians serve others
bondChristians are driven by thankfulness – intense, “blow your mind and heart” thankfulness. Thankfulness motivates everything bondChristians do. And it’s insanely personal.
bondChristians have received so much from Jesus. That’s why they serve others. Not because they have to. Not because it’ll make God like them more. But because it’s the only meaningful response to the blessings they’ve received.
Why do you serve others?
Do you ever have that? Do you ever receive something so wonderful, so amazingly wonderful that you want to tell the whole world about it and share it with them?
Sometimes it’s a feeling of guilt, a desire to pay back what’s been given. But when the blessing goes beyond anything you can pay back, the desire to pay back switches to a desire to give back – to serve – for no other reason than that you want everyone to experience your joy.
Serving Suggestions:
(1) Cultivate gratitude in your life. It’s the surest way to create a desire to serve others.
(2) What’s your story? When, specifically, have you wanted so badly to share what you’ve received with others? Leave a comment.
Twitter Updates
Great post…I keep trying to think of things to add and I can’t. Good job!
Thank you for dropping by and commenting anyway. It’s really encouraging for me – and others as well because they can see people interacting with the blog more.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
“1. I didn’t feel like I was living an inspiring example.
2. I didn’t even know he noticed me”
The same thing happend to me on Sunday. It was really strange. I’m trying to figure out what I can do next to keep this up. God was clearly telling me to get with it.
I learned that while serving others you get so much more out of the experience than the people you’re serving. You go into it for others you come out of it learning they’ve served you more than you have them.
Sarah,
That’s exactly it. I love that about helping others: “I learned that while serving others you get so much more out of the experience than the people you’re serving. You go into it for others you come out of it learning they’ve served you more than you have them.”
I think that’s the core idea behind this whole blog. Thanks for putting it so well. I wrote a series of post a while back about How to be interesting. That was one specific example of how doing for others is actually how you can do until you. :>) The lesson applies in so many different ways though, in almost every situation where you’re helping someone else.
Thank you for bringing it up.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Marshall, this is a cool post and I absolutely agree. I have a few examples where someone has giving me similar feedback about how I’ve made an impact in their lives. Those meaningful acts of service now ring so strongly for me, it drives everything I do and they continue to serve me along side by that absolutely love you feel for those you serve, from those your serve and of course the deepening relationship with obedience to God.
Yes, it continually amazes me how much simple acts inspire me. What’s sometimes more amazing is how people tend to throw them around as if they don’t mean much, acting almost without knowing the impact they’re having. That fascinates me because it makes me wonder how much more impact I could have if I take it seriously and do it more purposely… and often.
Thank you for sharing, Mike.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Marshall,
I came across your site through Stuff Christians like (are you wearing a V-neck??? lol). I am blessed by this post.
Been sitting here trying to think of anything else that could be added to this, but you’ve put it so fully and elegantly.
You are a talented writer and very obviously a passionate Christian. I will be coming back here to visit often. And I hope you don’t mind, but I want to put your site in my Godly Living Links.
God’s blessings to you,
Jess
Thank you for clicking through from Stuff Christians Like. I’m guilty of way too many of those… including as you pointed out the DVS (Deep V-neck syndrome), though “deep” is open for interpretation. :>)
Thank you for reading and for offering your encouragement. As a blogger yourself, I’m sure you can appreciate the value of comments. I appreciate the link – and of course don’t mind. Thank you for sharing the site.
I’m looking forward to interacting with you more.
-Marshall Jones Jr.