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What I Got When I Gave

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. —Matthew 20:28

Does serving really make a difference? I believe it does. 

The grieving couple standing before me for prayer after service had lost their child earlier that week. As I held their shaking hands and prayed for them, tears flowed as this heartbroken mother and father released wails of grief. Slowly, their wails transitioned to deep gratitude to God for entrusting them with the child they had the privilege of raising. Then, to my surprise, they began praising God for His goodness and for His presence during their pain. 

In my volunteer role, I pray with people as part of Willow’s prayer team. Although I initiated this prayer, I gave room for the Holy Spirit to move—and wow, did He move. I felt as if I were witnessing these parents process the beginnings of their grief with Jesus Himself. Through our prayer time, God not only began to heal their pain, but to empower this family to move toward joy, even in the face of their devastating loss. 

When I prayed with that grieving couple, I had no idea what I would get when I gave, but it was more powerful than I could have asked or imagined. As we closed the prayer with a unified, “Amen,” I sensed a divine peace and stillness hovering over us. In spite of their pain, this mother and father were clearly experiencing the unexplainable “peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” (Philippians 4:7) in their  suffering, which can only be found through Jesus. 

I’ve served in a handful of different capacities throughout my life—everything from student ministry to soup kitchens, from leading Bible studies to musical worship. But on that morning, it had been a few years since I’d volunteered in any capacity. In all honesty, I felt rusty. But I’d sensed God had been calling me to serve with the little capacity I had. For me, it was simply praying for people, but I experienced God taking my willingness to serve and using it to move—hopefully in the lives of these grieving parents, but most certainly in my own life. 

My experience in serving on the prayer team is just one example of the impact God can make through us when we’re willing to serve. We can make a meaningful difference in our community in countless ways—from carrying groceries to the car of an elderly widow at the Willow Creek Care Center, to rocking the baby of an exhausted new mom who wants to leave her infant in the nursery at Willow Kids so she can catch a break and enjoy the church service. Or what about the new high school freshman who is struggling to find acceptance in his community? 

No matter your season of life, you can find opportunities to serve those around you, and take part in the goodness God wants to do through you in the lives of others. 

Jesus’ fundamental mission statement speaks to His heart for serving those around Him:

“…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

As His followers, we have the opportunity to be Jesus’ hands and feet, loving and serving others just as He did. Through your simple act of service, God may even use you to change the trajectory of a person’s life—and impact their entire family! 

Maybe like me, it’s been years since you’ve volunteered in any capacity. Don’t let that stop you from serving! When you give what you can, you’ll get to watch God multiply your time and effort in the lives of others—and use it for His glory. 

We may never know the full scope of the hope, healing, and comfort that we bring to someone’s life through serving, but when we help those in need, we are keeping rhythm with God’s mission—and it feels good. We were created to serve, and in doing so, we’re in cadence with Jesus’ heartbeat for the world. 

Next Steps:

How might God be inviting you to serve in this season?  Explore the dozens of volunteer opportunities on Serve Finder, and then sign up to take a First Look before you join a team!

Written by Justine Fernandez, Communications Manager