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The Value of Serving (and some ways you can serve another today!)

We've Been Called to Serve

What is service?

Oxford Languages defines service as:  The action of helping or doing work for someone.

It may be safe to assume that we all have an idea of what service is, however, our personal definitions might contain slight variations. One person may think of service as holding the door open for a stranger, whereas someone else may think of it as donating clothing to a homeless shelter. Another person may see service solely as a paid job, for example, a waiter is serving you your food because they are required to. These are all examples of service, and each one is not more dominant than the other. 

Why should we serve others?

When we serve others, we are following in Christ’s footsteps. Christ spent his mortal life in the service of others and we can see this throughout the Bible. When we serve others, we are building ourselves a solid foundation overflowing with blessings, personal growth, enlightenment, happiness, and inspiration. When you serve another, you are adding value to not only the person you are serving but also yourself. You have the opportunity to positively impact someone’s life. This can inspire whomever you serve to pay it forward, which can create a snowball effect of acts of kindness and good deeds. By your simple action, you can create a shift that has the potential to create a constructive and beneficial difference for humankind. 

How do we find time to serve?

With the hustle and bustle attitude of our modern times, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of our commitments and obligations. Between all of society’s expectations, our expectations from our family, and responsibilities at work, it's no wonder so many of us sometimes feel swallowed up. We can become so encompassed with the tasks of our day-to-day lives, that when we do get a break, we want to spend that break resting, catching up on reading, or enjoying a hobby. “I’m just too tired”, is the universal excuse to why we aren’t doing more. We use this excuse in numerous areas of our lives. However, when we use this excuse specifically as to why we cannot serve another, we are overlooking the expectation of the Almighty. He has commanded us to serve. We should learn to prioritize our time to include acts of service. 

Thankfully there is a myriad of approaches you can take to help another person. Many of these methods don’t need to take a lot of time. Because of this, some deeds can easily be implemented into your daily life. 

A Fistful of Service Ideas

• Walk your neighbor's dog
• Greet others with a nod of acknowledgment
• Listen. Listen with the intent to listen. 
• Clean up any litter you come across
• Do a chore for someone in your household that you normally wouldn’t do
• Hold open the door for someone
• Give sincere compliments
• Smile
• Donate books
• Respond to someone rude with kindness and understanding
• Show your support for someone, even if you don’t agree with whatever they need support with
• Pray for others
• Offer up your seat to someone who needs it more
• Keep your promises
• Write and send someone an uplifting note
• Call an old friend
• Pay off someone's overdrawn school lunch account
• Donate canned goods
• Participate in a community clean up
• Volunteer at a food pantry
• Purchase classroom supplies for a teacher
• Plant a tree
• Cook a meal for someone
• Help an elderly person carry their groceries to their car
• Donate blood
• Donate used clothing
• Pay for someone's gas
• If you notice your neighbor’s trash can isn’t at the curb on trash day, bring it out for them
• Are you walking or driving your kids to school? Maybe you can help a friend out by taking their child too
• Donate make-up and feminine hygiene products to a women's shelter
• Babysit for someone in need
• Set up a small monthly donation to your favorite charity
• Mow someone's lawn
• When you see someone is down, don’t avoid them. Instead, sit with them, talk to them, and let them feel your love and concern
• Donate an old wedding or prom dress to make angel gowns
• Help kids with their homework
• Clean up old headstones
• Return someone else's shopping cart along with your own
• Help your neighbor with their gardening
• Volunteer at the library
• Cuddle a newborn, volunteer at the hospital to cuddle newborn infants
• Play games with people at retirement centers
• Purchase someone a book
• Pay for the person behind you in line (it doesn’t matter where you are!)
• Knit beanies and donate them to a cancer center
• Treat your new co-worker to lunch
• Teach a music lesson
• Clean a pregnant person's house
• When you see a group of people taking a photo, offer to take the photo so everyone in their group can be included
• Read to people in the hospital
• Hug someone who needs a hug
• Leave a small gift and note of gratitude for your mail delivery person
• Return store items you’ve decided not to purchase to their original spot
• Hold the elevator door open
• Be someone’s cheerleader
• Collect diapers and donate them

As you can see, serving others is a multifaceted venture. There is no correct or incorrect way to serve someone. There is no way which is better than the other. Do what you can with what resources you have to show your love and support for those you come into contact with. It doesn’t matter if they’re someone you’ve known your whole life or a stranger on the street. When you see an opportunity to nourish another individual, do so. You never know the monumental footprint a simple act can leave.

-Torrance Church of Christ

20 Daily Affirmations for Christians

What are Daily Affirmations?

Daily Affirmations are statements that you can repeat to yourself. They are positive and uplifting declarations that you can repeat out loud or silently in your head. 

What is the Purpose of Daily Affirmations?

Affirmations are used to negate the effects of negative thoughts. When you use affirmations, you are essentially replacing a negative thought with a positive one. You can create neural pathways to retrain your brain with a new pattern of thinking. Examples of more commonly used affirmations are:

I am successful.

I am loved.

I am worthy. 

As you can see, affirmations are commonly used to raise self-esteem, empower, and motivate. When you repeat these statements, you plant the seed in your brain and with continued use, that seed will flourish and you’ll be able to see outward changes. 

Why Should Christians use Daily Affirmations?

You don’t have to use Daily Affirmations. It is a purely personal choice. The affirmations we have compiled below are meant to be looked at as helpful reminders of your faith in God. These affirmations will help you to stay true to your values. 

- Torrance Church of Christ

8 Measures We Can Take to Become More Christlike

Romans 15:5 states: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.

Take a second to ponder on that scripture. What does it mean to you? How does this apply to your life?  Do you have the same attitude as Christ? Are you taking the initiative to become more like Christ? 

Why it is Important to be Christlike

When we align our values and actions to that of Christ, we are taking the steps to become closer to God and everlasting life. We will be examples to those in our lives who need extra encouragement. And we will become better able to combat the temptations of evil. 

Christ is Love

Christ is the quintessential model for love. He came to this Earth to teach us because He loves us so much. He faced persecution because He loves us so much. He sacrificed His life to enable us to attain eternal life because He loves us so much. If He was able to face death because He loves us, we should be able to love our boss who sometimes works us too hard, our neighbor who complains about our dog barking, and the driver who cut us off. We need to love everyone, even those who have wronged us. 

Christ is a Friend

Jesus nurtured and maintained his friendship with his disciples. He was attentive to them, respected them, and loved them enough to share the Word of God with them. We can also take a look at the Story of Lazarus. Jesus actively listened and comforted Martha and Mary when they came to Him and shared their concerns and fears for their brother. Christ showed and displayed empathy for the two women. He understood the importance and positive impact being a friend can have. We can all learn from His example. Be a friend to those who need you. Listen to, engage with, and let your friend know how significant they are. 

Christ is Forgiving

In Luke, we learn of the sinful woman. She had discovered Jesus was attending dinner at the Pharisee's house and came to Him. The others in attendance were disgusted by this woman and commented on her sinful lifestyle. She had cried to Jesus, washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume. Jesus forgave her for her sins. On His last day in His mortal body, Jesus forgave Peter. Jesus had warned Peter that when the day came, Peter would deny Him three times. Peter did not believe this, but he realized his mistake when the moment came and he had in fact denied Jesus, not just once, but three times, like was prophesied. Jesus forgave His friend. Irrefutably the best example of Jesus showing forgiveness was when the Roman soldiers were nailing Him to the cross. Not only were the soldiers nailing Him up, but the other criminals on crosses and the crowd that had gathered to watch were mocking Him. This is when Jesus cried out:

What a powerful message we get from that scripture. Forgiveness is such a crucial instruction we need to apply in our lives. 

Christ is Obedient

The mere fact that Jesus came to this Earth to teach and die for our sins to be forgiven shows how obedient Christ is. His whole mortal life was overflowing with obedience. Jesus taught, preached, and lived the Word of God. He served his Father in every moment of His life. We need to also. We need to obey our Father's commandments. 

Christ is Patient

Throughout His lifetime, Christ practiced patience. He showed patience every time He was mocked, doubted, and persecuted. He showed patience with his disciples while teaching them. Jesus showed patience with his friends, and patience with his enemies, He even showed patience while he suffered on the cross. We too can be patient with those around us.

Christ is Humble

Jesus is perfect. He healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, and turned water into wine. He performed countless miracles. Yet, He was never prideful. Instead, He always stayed humble. Jesus’s mortal life started in humility. He was born in a barn. He learned the trade of carpentry, a humble profession, not one of nobility. Jesus spent time and shared love with people from all walks of life, the sick, the sinners, women, and children. At the Last Supper, Jesus showed humility by washing His apostle’s feet. Jesus never placed Himself above anybody. He was humble in all of His doings.

Christ is Prayerful

Throughout the Bible, we can find many examples of Jesus praying. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and the power of prayer. Jesus prayed openly with others, and in private. He knew the importance of communication with our Father in Heaven. Pray often, pray for yourself and others.

Christ is Charitable

Jesus regularly spent his time being charitable. Being charitable doesn’t just mean the more common definition it has today of donating goods and money. Charity can be displayed in many forms and no matter the form, it basically comes down to helping those in need. One lesson we can learn in the Bible about charity is the story of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was the tax collector in Jericho. He was a wealthy man. While Jesus was passing through town, Zacchaeus was so touched by Jesus, that he donated half of his possessions. We can and should soften our hearts as Zacchaeus had. We should be generous to others.

Your Steps

By adopting these 8 attributes into your daily life, you can become more Christlike. Be love, be a friend, forgive everyone, practice obedience, realize patience, humble yourself, pray often, and serve others in charity. 

Matthew 6:19-21 says: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are promised riches and treasures in Heaven. By becoming more Christlike, you are doing your part to attain your place in eternal glory.