Why do we sometimes find it hard to accept our place in the body of Christ when it comes to our service for Him? Clearly, we cannot all be pastors or deacons, but shouldn’t it be okay to serve the Lord in any capacity, no matter what that might be? Why then, do we sometimes find ourselves longing for those positions where we can be seen and heard and where everyone knows who we are? Choir Director? Most Certainly! Church maintenance twice a week? Not so much.

It may sound unbelievable, but there are people who would never serve in any capacity that they consider to be beneath them. Add a few letters after their name and you can forget about it. Don’t misunderstand me, I have nothing against degrees or titles, but when it comes to serving Christ, none of that matters; we serve wherever and however He calls us to serve.

There’s also that longing to do what the other person is doing, when it appears that they’re getting much more limelight and recognition than we are; while we’re stuck doing some mundane task we hardly ever get thanks or credit for. But our service is to God not man, and we have to keep reminding ourselves of that every time our focus begins shifting.

If it’s all for His glory and honor, shouldn’t we be just as happy dusting the pews or emptying the trash, as we are being the youth leader or head usher? There is no small service in the Kingdom, none. All of the members count in the body of Christ, and all play an important part to make the body function as a whole. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” I Corinthians 12:12 (KJV)

Even our physical bodies cannot function when one part is out of sync. A broken toe makes us no less miserable than a malfunctioning kidney. One might be more serious than the other but both disrupt the body’s normal rhythm. We need that pinkie toe to be okay and function the way it’s supposed to, just as much as we need that kidney to. Same with the body of Christ; when one hurts or gets into trouble it affects the others.

“Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor…” I Corinthians 12: 22,23 (KJV)

On the flip side, based on that same scripture, I think it’s just as wrong to downplay the contribution we make to the body of Christ, no matter what that contribution is. Genuine service, from the heart, pleases the Lord. You don’t have to belch out a fiery sermon from the pulpit, or travel across the world as a missionary to have it counted as meaningful service. Do what you can, the way only you can do it, and be a blessing to someone else’s life. Do it humbly, and do it with all your heart.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Colossians 3:23 (KJV)

It’s sad to say that there will be a lot of surprises when we stand before the throne of God on that great day. For many who did great things in His name, but with wrong motives and vanity of heart, could very well hear him say “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Whilst those who quietly served in the shadows, unseen by others, will hear those coveted words “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

A Servant’s Heart

by Camille Bernard

What would you do for Christ today?
It matters how you start.
Do you have ulterior motives,
Or a pure and humble heart?

Do you want the world to see you,
As you glory in their praise?
Or simply ask your Father God,
To guide you in His ways.

When your work goes through the fire,
Would it stand up to the test?
Or be counted all for nothing,
And be burned up like the rest.

As you live a life of service,
Please remember this my friend,
Only what is done for Jesus,
Will be counted in the end.