Serving?! I wonder if that means helping people find a seat, cleaning the toilets, or maybe making coffee. I can rock the air guitar and sing off-key with the best of them, but that’s probably not what the band is looking for. I guess I will just see where I can be helpful – I’m content with doing whatever is needed. But do they even need me?

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That’s pretty much how it all started – but just like so many before me and after, it doesn’t end there. In fact, I often feel like this journey has only just begun. I have had the privilege of serving in a few different areas at ACF, but today, I want to zoom in on one in particular.

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When I first was invited to serve in the prayer room, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I wondered what I would pray about, how the interaction with someone would go, or if anyone would even come ask for prayer. I was pretty nervous at first – this was something really important, and I wanted to do it well. At the end of the day, though, I wasn’t going to let the nerves, what-ifs, or discomfort get in the way. And, as much as I was focused on this not being about me, I began to understand that the Lord is so concerned with our heart posture. Yes, he wants us to have the right heart posture in serving, yet he also wants to do something in us through it.  

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As people came to the prayer room carrying all kinds of things, there was a real opportunity to call out to God with them. Sometimes we were praising God for the blessings he was raining down. Other times we cried out for a family member, friend, or an entire city, state, or country. And there were instances of simply sitting and listening to a person who needed someone to be present with them. I could tell you about the countless times I saw prayers answered in amazing ways, God miraculously at work in a person’s life, and the humbling stories of people walking through the most challenging or most triumphant times.

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But the two things that personally impacted me the most were God breaking my heart for other people and growing my faith. As I had the honor of gaining a glimpse into the lives of others, my heart broke for people that were hurting, struggling, lonely, and in need of the loving God who wants to rescue them. My faith grew tremendously as I saw God at work in numerous ways – drawing people to himself, healing people, and providing for their deepest needs.  

Make no mistake, those words in today’s verses ring so true. And yet we don’t just serve because of the needs of others, but because we also have a need to serve. And thank God that he meets us in that and does so much work in all who are involved. There is a team, even a person, that needs you to serve. And just as much, you personally have a need to serve.

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I’m going to pose a few questions, and I think it will be readily apparent which one is for you today.

• What has kept you from serving so far? Is it fear, doubt, or not knowing where you belong?

• How has God worked in and through you as you serve? If you’ve been serving, I’m certain that God didn’t want you to accomplish a task where you and others left unchanged. As you consider inviting someone else into serving, share what God has done in your story.

• Is he calling me to more? Ask God what he is calling you to. Maybe it’s to step out of your comfort zone, serve in a new area, or lead. My challenge to you would be ask and follow where he leads – no more and no less.

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Lord, thank you for wanting to work in and through your people. You designed it to be that way. Please help me to practice humility just as you first demonstrated. In Jesus’ name, Amen!