How Can Christians Effectively Serve One Another in Love?
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As we start a new year, many of us might have made a New Year’s Resolution to better serve one another with love, especially in our churches and communities. While we rightfully think of churches as the buildings that we go to each Sunday to worship our Lord, we are the church, so wherever we meet with other believers, perhaps they are small Bible studies or fellowship, it is also the church.
Additionally, since we are the church, we should serve one another in love wherever we go and whomever we interact with. This includes in our homes, when we visit friends, when we go shopping or eat out at restaurants, and in our workplaces.
Where Does the Bible Tell Us to Serve One Another in Love?
Serving one another with love is a concept explored in depth in various parts of the Bible. However, three different places that stick out include:
1. Galatians 5:13. Amanda Idleman’s Crosswalk article “How to Serve One Another with Love, without Getting Burnt Out” discusses how Paul encourages us to use our freedom to serve one another. The full verse is “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Pamela Palmer writes in her summary of Galatians that the book was written to remind believers that they should rely on the Holy Spirit, not the law, which is what saved them. Furthermore, Paul’s writings are applicable today because he illustrates that while we are free, we should use our freedom not to indulge in sinful activities but to be righteous. Part of being righteous is serving one another with love.
2. John 13:15. Jesus sets an example for us to follow as we serve one another in love. In John 13:15, after washing His disciple’s feet, He says, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” Feet washing was a servant’s role, and Jesus illustrated how we should serve one another with love.
Tope Keku writes in her iBelieve devotion “Serving One Another – Beloved Women” about how Jesus modeled servanthood: He washed His disciples’ feet—including Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Him. He wanted to give Judas the gift of love, though He did not deserve it.
Jesus wanted to set the example that we should love others, even if they don’t deserve it.
Caroline Madison explains in her summary of the Book of John that this gospel is believed to written by the apostle John, and focuses mainly on Christ’s words and miracles. Unlike the other gospels (by Matthew, Luke, and Mark), the Book of John is written as an eyewitness account of Jesus’ ministry. Furthermore, the book illustrates Jesus’s desire to serve us, such as John 14:27:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
3. Philippians 2:3-5. The principle of serving one another with love is highlighted in these verses, where we are instructed to think of others as more important than ourselves. This is counter-cultural in today’s “me first” world.
Philippians 2:3-5 says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
Paul highlights the importance of respecting, giving, and serving one another in love. By putting others’ needs before ours, we emphasize serving others.
Dr. Sandra Hammer Smith writes in her Christianity.com article, “Who Wrote the Book of Philippians?,” that Paul wrote the Book of Philippians “to encourage the church to work out their differences, have faith, and continue to believe in Christ.”
Does ‘Serve One Another with Love’ Only Apply to Other Christians?
Christ wants us to serve everyone with love, not just other Christians. Kyle Norman’s Christianity.com article “What Does ‘Love One Another’ Truly Mean?” highlights Jesus’ remarks in Luke 6:32:
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”
In other words, we should serve another with love by loving others and following Jesus’ example. Jesus was kind to people who didn’t understand Him. Mark 6:34 states, “When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.”
As we serve non-Christians, we should keep our focus on Jesus and not engage in sin. Hebrews 12:1-2 speaks on this, telling us to lay down any sin that entangles us and run the race of life looking to Jesus, the founder of our faith. Jesus should be our example as He endured the cross.
How Does Paul Say We Serve One Another with Love?
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12 that we should use all the gifts the Spirit gives to serve the common good. He adds in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
Paul advocates serving one another with love by using the fruits of the Spirit as detailed in Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
What Does Serving One Another with Love Not Look Like?
I have observed people who may have tried to serve others with love, but how they talked and behaved said otherwise.
For example, I learned while volunteering on the church’s tech team that it was important to encourage other volunteers by telling them what they had done right and then offering suggestions on how to make improvements.
Focusing on what someone can do right next time is a better way to serve them with love than speaking solely on what they did wrong, which can be discouraging for some, especially those who are still learning to work with technology and learning cues for guitar solos and lighting.
Serving one another with love is easier said than done, of course. Still, our tech team continues to learn and gain practical skills as we seek to create a high-quality live stream and recording experience that hundreds of people watch each week on Facebook and YouTube.
How Do We Learn to Serve One Another with Love?
Serving one another with love can be done in many ways, including loving and caring, praying, encouraging, helping, counseling, and supporting.
Idleman discusses what love is and how we can love without getting exhausted in her aforementioned article. She defines love by referencing 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease, as for knowledge, it will pass away.”
10 Ways to Serve One Another in Love
Here are the top 10 ways we can serve others in love daily—including some great activities that Idleman recommends.
- Daily Gratitude. We need to give thanks to the Lord as it says in Psalm 118:29, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” and remember that a thankful heart is a joyful heart.
- Commit to the Sabbath. We should take God’s commandment to rest on the seventh day, as part of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:8, so that we can serve others in love.
- Use Your Spiritual Gifts. Spiritual gifts that we could use to serve others are spelled out in 1 Corinthians 12, which include wisdom, healing, prophecy, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits, as well as speaking and interpreting tongues.
- Serve Your Physical Community. Serve one another in love by encouraging each other. Hebrews 10:24-25 urges us not to give up gathering together, as some do, but to lift each other up as we get closer to Christ’s return. We should serve our communities without expecting anything in return. This concept is discussed in Mark 10:44-45, which specifies that Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give His life.
- Serve Your Church. Find a way to use your talents or interests to serve your local church. Consider being a greeter, singing in the choir or playing in the worship band, helping care for babies in the nursery, teaching Sunday School classes, or helping the technology team. Hebrews 6:10 reminds us that God will not forget the work that we have done for Him and how we have helped His people.
- Give to Your Church. Give financially to your church by following the command issued in 2 Corinthians 9:7, which says we should give not reluctantly but cheerfully. Deuteronomy 14:22 says that we should tithe one-tenth of our income.
- Serve Your Family. Whether your family is all in one home or spread out throughout the country, find ways to serve your biological family—whether that means babysitting children, offering encouragement, or offering to help around the house or yard. Proverbs 24:3 makes it clear that we should serve with wisdom to build a home and establish that home with understanding.
- Serve Other Drivers. 2 Kings 9:20 rebukes those who drive dangerously. By driving over the speed limit, pulling out in front of drivers, following too closely, and deciding to go on a yellow or even a red light, we are not showing the love of God. Instead, let’s use care and let drivers in if they are trying to get out of a driveway.
- Serve Your Online Communities. God cares about how we treat each other online and knows how easy it is for us to get fumed behind our keyboards without the ability to look at each other’s faces. 1 Peter 2:17 addresses this topic, commanding us to show respect to everyone. Even in Christian discussion groups, hot topics can lead to hurt feelings and misunderstandings. We are to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ with love and not be keyboard warriors!
- Serve Your Essential Heroes. During COVID, we applauded the work of frontline heroes like police, medical, and fire departments, as well as people working at restaurants, retail stores, utility companies, and the military. After the federal emergency was declared over, the extra respect for these people was largely forgotten. Serve them respectfully, offer them a cup of coffee, and thank them for their service! Titus 2:7 instructs us to show integrity to all.
The Scripture calls out specific examples such as Matthew 25:35-40, which explains that whenever we welcome strangers to our homes, visit prisoners, give food or drink to the hungry or thirsty, or provide clothes to the naked, we do it for Jesus.
It also includes our unique gifts. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 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.”
How will you serve one another with love in your church and community?
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