Why Should Christians Serve Others?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret:

I’m selfish.

Not all the time, maybe not even most of the time—but, deep down, my basest instincts tell me to look out for myself above all others. 

I suspect I’m not alone in that.

Perhaps that’s what made Jesus Christ’s words in Matthew 20:26-28 so difficult for some to understand.

In a moment of loving correction, Christ told His disciples, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

What?

Everything Christ said here seems to run contrary to our natural human inclination. He endorses a lifestyle of service rather than pursuit of selfish gain. 

Service is not a natural state for humans. But it is a concept that Jesus teaches us is vital to living the Christian life.

So why should Christians serve others? And, once we realize the importance of service, how can we practice it in our everyday lives?

Why do Christians serve?

Why does Jesus Christ command His followers to be servants? Is service really all that important? 

From one perspective, our service can be a force of good in the lives of others.

Jesus was and is the ultimate Servant. During His time on earth, He changed countless lives through His healings, teachings and example. While we cannot perform all of the same actions He did, Christians are commanded to “walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). In other words, we are to follow the example that Jesus set in His life. 

However, there’s a deeper purpose behind genuine Christian service.

If human beings are naturally inclined to focus on themselves, then serving others is the perfect tool to combat selfishness.

Fundamentally, service is about putting someone else’s needs before our own. It’s about being driven by love and generosity instead of selfishness.

Most people are all too happy living a life of get. They store up earthly possessions and positions for themselves—but they lack the “love of God” that facilitates lasting change (1 John 3:17).

Serving, on the other hand, is a different way of life—the way of give. Rather than focusing on ourselves, we can seek ways to serve others and, in doing so, actively work to overcome the natural selfishness that causes us to look out only for ourselves.

Thus, with enough time and practice, living the give way of life results in building good Christian character. This end goal is far more desirable than the passing pleasures that come with living the get way (Acts 20:35).

Over time, we train ourselves to be more like Christ, who put aside the powers and privileges of divinity to come to earth as a servant. We learn to think less highly of ourselves and instead think more of others. Developing a servant mindset is the crux of our ongoing Christian faith (Philippians 2:1-11).

Service is an essential tool in building the character and mindset of Jesus Christ.  

(For more on combating selfishness, check out our blog post “The Meaning of Philippians 2:3: Esteem Others Better?”)

How can Christians serve?

Knowing the necessity of serving is one thing, but putting it into practice can be more difficult. Where should we start?

Serving comes in many different forms. Sometimes serving is visible for others to see, while other times it remains entirely between us and God. The following are several ideas and concepts that you can implement to develop a servant’s heart:

Pray. Simply praying for others in need is a great act of service. When we know another person is going through a difficult time, we may not always be in a position to help him or her out of it. But we are always able to pray for the person. When you pray for someone, you appear before the Almighty God, the Ruler of the universe, and ask for His intervention on that person’s behalf. That is no small matter!

Seeing a need is much more than a passive activity. It involves actively looking for needs. Prayer can also be a valuable tool for finding ways to serve. We can ask God to help us recognize service opportunities as they arise. If we truly desire to serve and ask Him to give us opportunities to serve, He will provide them.  

Use your gifts to benefit others. Each of us is blessed with talents and skills in life. If you have identified which skills you possess, the best way to use them is in service to others. In 1 Peter 4:10-11, we are instructed to use our blessings to bless others.

You may have been blessed with the ability to effectively encourage people in their time of need. If so, use that gift to build someone up when he or she needs it.  

Perhaps you have more material blessings than others. Use your resources to support those who are struggling to make ends meet.

Maybe you have a home conducive to hosting. Use that resource to practice hospitality and bring people together. 

The possibilities are endless. 

God wants each of us to use our gifts to build others up—not just use them for ourselves (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Assess your own strengths and look for ways to use them to benefit others.

For more on this subject, check out our article “The Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

See a need, fill a need. If you desire to serve but don’t know where to start, begin by looking around you to assess what tasks or responsibilities still need to be filled.

You can do this anywhere—at church, work, your neighborhood or even at home. What needs to be done that’s being overlooked? Who has too much responsibility on his or her shoulders and may need help?

Seeing a need is much more than a passive activity. It involves actively looking for needs. When you look at the world with eyes wide open, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to serve.

Who do Christians serve?

Now that we’ve established a baseline for why and how Christians can serve, we must also aim our service in the proper direction. Who is it that we must be serving?

The short answer? Everyone. But, of course, we are limited by time and resources. So how do we set priorities?

A servant’s heart does not exclude old or young. Nor does it judge physical attributes. Christians are not to show partiality (James 2:1-9). 

God also gives us instructions to take special care of those in our church community. In Galatians 6:10, we read, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

We should strive to serve all people, but with a special emphasis on fellow Christians. God has placed us in His special family, and we are therefore brothers and sisters together. As a family, we must do our best to care for each other’s needs and step in to help whenever and wherever we can.

There is one more whom we serve: God Himself. Jesus went out of His way to show that acts of service toward others are also acts of service toward God. In Matthew 25:35-40, He reveals that any service performed toward our brethren is like serving God Himself: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Service is not a chore that we take on grudgingly. It is an opportunity to grow in character, form deeper bonds with our brothers and sisters in the faith and serve God Himself.

If even Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, chose to be the Servant, then His followers should be all the more eager to be servants also.

Date Posted: March 4, 2026