16 Bible Verses about Serving
All this month, I’ve been highlighting the various ways we are to develop a servant’s heart toward our husbands, children, and those that visit our home. I’ve even taught how to teach your children to be servants unto the Lord. So to finish our series, I thought it might be a good idea to reflect on what biblical servitude is, and what the Bible says about serving. Here are 16 Bible verses about service and 3 biblical ways to develop a servant’s heart.
Bible Verses About Serving
The Bible is basically a manual for service toward others. It teaches us what serving means and doesn’t mean, how to develop a servant’s heart and what it looks like, and how to provide service toward others, with a best example of the perfect servant – Jesus Christ. Jesus was the ultimate servant, providing for others and giving of Himself to help others – spiritually and physically. The following is a list of 16 Bible Verses about serving, everything from Christ’s service to us, and how we are to serve God, our families, and others outside of our families.
Bible verses about Christ’s servitude
Christ is the ultimate example of servitude. He consistently gave of Himself without asking in return, even giving His own life to save us. His whole mission in life from the very beginning was to be a servant to us, to serve as our sacrifice so that we may know God and be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The following Bible verses are examples of Christ’s servitude, an example that we are called to mimic.
- ‘But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”’ (Mark 10:43-45, NLT)
- ‘Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.’ (John 13:3-5)
- ‘After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.’ (John 13:12-17)
- ‘The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.’ (Matthew 21:14)
- ‘But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.’ (Romans 5:8)
Bible verses about serving God
Serving God entails us to love Him, follow His Word, and walk in obedience in what He has called us to do. If we truly love God, our strongest desire is to praise Him and serve Him with gladness. What does that look like exactly? The following scriptures tell us how we are to serve God.
- ‘Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.’ (1 Peter 4:8-10)
- ‘God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.’ (Romans 1:9)
- ‘But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.’ (1 Samuel 12:24)
Bible verses about serving your family
The Bible puts a strong emphasis on family and how we are to treat those that are close to us and live with us in close proximity. 1 Timothy 3:5,12 even says that if we cannot manage our own home, we can’t take care of God’s church. Managing our home is a form of servitude toward our families. We are to serve God first by doing what He has called us to do. But God has blessed us with our family and household to manage so that we are to shepherd them first before we can shepherd anyone else.
- ‘But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God. Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism. But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.’ (1 Timothy 5:4-8)
- ‘Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.’ (Galatians 6:10)
- ‘Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.’ (Proverbs 24:27)
Bible verses about serving others
Once we serve our families, we are then called to make disciples of all the earth, so that everyone has a chance to hear the Good News and know God personally. There are many ways that we can provide this service to others, including using the gifts that God has given us. In fact, the gifts God has blessed us with have absolutely nothing to do with us. We are just the vessel. We are called to use the gifts that God has bestowed upon us to serve others so that God may be glorified. Here are 5 scriptures about serving others to inspire you.
- ‘When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.’ (Romans 12:13)
- ‘ “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.’ (Matthew 5:43-48)
- ‘And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”’ (Matthew 10:42)
- ‘Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!’ (Hebrews 13:2)
- ‘So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.’ (Romans 15:7)
3 Biblical Ways to Develop Ways to Develop a Servant’s Heart
1. Humility
To learn how to serve others, we must first be humble. Be honest with yourself when it comes to your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t try to buff yourself up to others as if you’re so perfect. This can be very destructive to not only you, but to those in the church. At the same time, we can also be destructive to ourselves if we take the opposite approach and see ourselves from a very low perspective.
We each have been gifted with a spiritual gift that contributes to the success of the church. You need other Believers, and they need you. Humility is making an assessment of your strengths and gifts, and acknowledging where those gifts came from – God.
Even Jesus, equal to God the Father, did not think of himself as equal to God, but gave up his divine privileges and took the humble position of a servant (Philippians 2:5-8).
2. Sacrifice
Jesus sacrificed his own divine privileges and comfort, and instead, dedicated himself to a life of servitude, even to the point of death, for you and me.
Sacrifice isn’t always so drastic. Placing someone else’s needs above our own can include sacrificing our time, our pride, or even something of value. As I am preparing to be a mother, I am also preparing my heart to sacrifice. I have to put my child’s needs first before my own. It’s a good thing I’ve had almost six years of practice with my husband!
3. Faith
Remember early on in this post when I said you should be able to trust that your husband will serve you in return? That is what faith looks like!
God doesn’t ask us to make sacrifices so we can suffer. While serving God and others may require setting aside our need for recognition and reward, it doesn’t require us to be forgotten and pushed aside. By serving God and others, we are putting our faith in God that He is also serving and taking care of us!
