“It is not that you have to; you get to.” My friend’s words to a teenage boy were met with a side glance of disbelief. He didn’t want to spend his summer serving while doing what he considered meaningless tasks around the outside of the church. Summer was meant to be a time of relaxation and enjoyment for a high school student. He didn’t see how a summer of service could be fun, yet he didn’t consider how a summer of service would be a mark of faithfulness.

A Mark of Faithfulness

Service is a mark of faithfulness because God’s Word calls for His followers to be faithful. While we could survey many biblical passages on the command to serve, Jesus’s own words before His death and resurrection instruct us on both the model of service and the motivation for service. In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus says to His disciples, “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Notice, the discussion on service is not that being served reveals God’s favor on your life; it is that serving others reveals faithfulness to God in your life. To be great is to be faithful, and Jesus is that model of service. His sinless life and death on the cross for sinners are the greatest examples of serving. He gave of Himself to redeem many from their sins. It is with Jesus’s model of service we also find our motivation.

Saved to Serve

Our motivation for service comes from what Jesus has done for us in reconciling us back to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). This is crucial for understanding how we serve wholeheartedly as Christians. When we receive the command to serve, it is not a means of salvation. In other words, our service and good works cannot save us from our sins or make us right with a holy God. We are only by the grace of God alone through faith in Christ alone. 

However, God has a purpose for our good works and service. We may not be saved by acts of service, but we are saved for acts of service (Ephesians 2:8-10). This is a point we must not miss. Sometimes in Christian circles, we can highlight how God has saved us from sin but tend to downplay the truth He has also saved us for serving. As we serve, too, we do so with hearts transformed by the gospel. Our times of service are not consistently marked by grumbling but out of gratitude. This is what it means to serve wholeheartedly, the transformation of our hearts leading to the transformation of our actions. We serve out of gratitude toward what God has done for us in the gospel. The freedom we have in the gospel is not a place to spend selfishly on our desires, but it is an opportunity to love and serve one another (Galatians 5:13-14).

Blessings for Both

If we are not careful, though, we can fall into the trap that our service to others should not lead to us feeling good about the work we are doing. This is where we need to be reminded of the truth in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Certainly, the recipient of one’s service will receive blessing. But the Bible is clear that serving also affects and bless the server. How does it bless the server? It blesses the server through growing them to look more like Christ (as Matthew 20:28 mentions). It blesses the server through seeing the good done to their neighbor. It blesses the server through their witnessing the encouragement others are receiving through their service.

Look Up, Look In, Look Around

All these components lead to a life of serving wholeheartedly. To serve wholeheartedly in the church and community involves looking up, looking, looking around. We must look up and recognize God is the one who has given us gifts to serve Him and His church. The gifts He has entrusted to us then require us to look in and consider what the gifts are we each have to serve. For some, it is sharing words of encouragement or being generous with what they have. For others, it is the gift of teaching or the gift of mercy. However, the Lord has shaped you, the call for you is to be a faithful steward of that gifting by serving the Lord and His church with it (1 Peter 4:10). This leads to the final takeaway of serving wholeheartedly, look around. What are areas in your local church where there is a need and seems you have the gifting to serve there? What are ministries you can get plugged into to serve, no matter how small they may be?

My friend’s words to the teenage boy were a reminder for me in serving the Lord and His church. It is not that I have to. I get to. I get to spend my Sunday morning each week investing in and teaching middle and high school students, even when they may still be trying to mentally wake up. I get to serve my church through using my gift of encouragement in our counseling center on Sundays. This perspective on serving is a change that only the gospel can make, and it can!

“Dulce y santificador”. Esta es mi típica respuesta a las personas que me preguntan cómo ha sido mi primer año de matrimonio con Esther. El matrimonio ha sido el más dulce ya que he sido bendecido con una esposa piadosa y hermosa. He experimentado la intimidad en el nivel más profundo. Al mismo tiempo, el matrimonio ha sido santificador porque ha expuesto mi corazón y ha revelado el pecado que mora en mí y problemas que deben ser abordados. Estoy agradecido porque en mi soltería busqué la santidad, mostrar humildad, vivir honestamente, practicar la hospitalidad y valorar el humor. Sin embargo, me sorprendió cómo una de esas características se mostró en mi matrimonio.

Honestidad e Identidad

Sabía que mientras me preparaba para el matrimonio, tendría que comprometerme con la santidad. Mi relación con el Señor debe ser lo primero y lo más importante. También sabía que tener una relación significaba mostrar humildad, admitir cuando estaba equivocado y pedir perdón. Para entrar en este pacto tan sagrado, sabía que tendría que abrir mi corazón a la hospitalidad y no tomarme demasiado en serio a mí mismo, sino también reírme. Sin embargo, un giro inesperado que tomé fue comprender lo que realmente significa vivir honestamente.

En mi soltería, vi esta característica de honestidad como veraz en las palabras que hablo y transparente en la vida que vivo. He visto que eso se desarrolla en el matrimonio. Si me hacen una pregunta sobre cómo me siento, necesito dar una respuesta honesta. Si mi conciencia me molesta por un comentario grosero que le hice a Esther, necesito confesárselo al Señor y a mi esposa. Sin embargo, había un elemento de vivir honestamente que no había considerado y me resultó más difícil hablar con mi esposa: mi inseguridad.

Comenzó cuando mi esposa y yo comenzamos a hablar sobre relaciones pasadas. Empecé a compararme con algunos de los otros hermanos en Cristo de los que estábamos hablando. Decía en broma: “Mi mejor atributo nunca fue mi apariencia; sino mi carácter”. Sin embargo, fue ese sentimiento el que me llevó a luchar contra la inseguridad que tengo sobre mi apariencia. Al estar rodeado de algunos de esos hermanos en Cristo, era difícil no ver cómo mi inseguridad salía a la superficie. Incluso en el pacto y el compromiso del matrimonio, me encontré luchando por cómo me comparaba con estos otros hombres. Cada vez, mi esposa se daba cuenta de que algo estaba pasando, y yo me tenía que enfrentar a un momento de revelar la verdad. Podía admitir mi inseguridad o podía tomarla a la ligera. Lo primero sería bueno para mi matrimonio. Esto último lo obstaculizaría.

El problema de la inseguridad es, entre otras cosas, una cuestión de identidad. No solo vi esto en las relaciones sino también en el trabajo. Durante el primer año de nuestro matrimonio, mi esposa y yo trabajamos. En la bondad del Señor, Él le dio a mi esposa un trabajo de tiempo completo mientras yo trabajaba en un trabajo de medio tiempo con horarios cercanos a tiempo completo. Cuando llegó la noticia de que estábamos esperando a nuestro primer hijo, mi esposa compartió conmigo el deseo de querer quedarse como ama de casa con el bebé. Sabía la responsabilidad que Dios me había confiado de proveer como líder de mi hogar (Génesis 2:15; Efesios 5:25; 1 Tesalonicenses 5:8). No podía abdicar de mi papel y excusar cualquier pasividad bajo la premisa de que “Dios es soberano y proveerá” en esta nueva temporada que se acercaba. Es cierto que Dios es soberano, pero en lugar de usar esa verdad para descuidar mi responsabilidad, fue un estímulo para confiar en la providencia de Dios en todas las situaciones y depender de Él. Dios había puesto a propósito a mi esposa y a mí en una posición en la que estaba siendo llamado a ser el proveedor que Él me había llamado a ser. 

Fue entonces cuando surgió en mi corazón mi deseo como esposo de ser el proveedor. Ese deseo condujo a intensas búsquedas de trabajo y entrevistas. Con cada búsqueda o entrevista sin fruto, me desanimaba con el tipo de proveedor que estaba siendo para mi esposa y mi bebé. Fue en ese momento de inseguridad que un amigo me recordó que si bien mi responsabilidad bíblica como esposo es ser proveedor, mi identidad principal se encuentra en Cristo (2 Corintios 5:17; Filipenses 3:8-9), no en si soy o no un proveedor suficiente según mis propios estándares.

Identidad en Él

El recordatorio de mi amigo es un buen consejo tanto para las personas solteras como para las casadas. Me sorprendió enfrentar mis inseguridades en el matrimonio, pero no me debería haber sorprendido. ¿Por qué? Porque esas eran el mismo tipo de inseguridades que traje de mi soltería. Recuerdo los rechazos y sentir que no era lo suficientemente guapo o lo suficientemente bueno para la mujer piadosa que estaba tratando de encontrar. Puedo recordar los momentos en que mi corazón estaba lleno de alegría o deprimido por la posibilidad de una relación o la inexistencia de una. Mi problema era que mi identidad estaba enfocada en una relación con una mujer en lugar de mi relación con el Señor. Tal es la idolatría y debe ser confesada (Éxodo 20:3; 1 Juan 1:9).

Una de las mayores luchas como soltero es poner tu identidad en si tienes o no una pareja. La falta de una relación romántica incluye sentimientos de inseguridad, de no ser lo suficientemente bueno. Es por eso que muchos solteros ven la soltería como una temporada de supervivencia. Cuando los solteros toman consejo en la Palabra de Dios y ven que sus inseguridades no los definen, entonces pueden ver claramente que su identidad no es la que tienen como potencial esposo, sino que su identidad está en su Salvador, nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Cuando los solteros ven su identidad en Cristo, pueden regocijarse en medio de su temporada de soltería porque les proporciona una devoción indivisible al Señor (1 Corintios 7:32-35). La búsqueda de la santidad significa ser honesto con el Señor. La demostración de humildad revela quiénes somos realmente. La honestidad habla de cómo debemos vivirlos en nuestras vidas.

El amigo que me animó a recordar que mi identidad se encuentra principalmente en Cristo, no en ser un proveedor, es un hombre soltero que me ha enseñado mucho sobre admitir mis inseguridades y vivir honestamente. Su consejo es el mismo que doy como recién casado a los solteros: tu identidad está principalmente en Cristo, no en con quién estás involucrado románticamente. Como soltero que constantemente enfrenta el rechazo de una persona soltera que se pregunta si su pareja alguna vez querrá comprometerse con el matrimonio, vendrán las inseguridades. Es importante ser honesto acerca de ellas. Clama al Señor, sé honesto contigo mismo acerca de tus inseguridades y confíaselos a tu pareja según corresponda. No esperes que las inseguridades desaparezcan una vez que te cases. La verdad de que tu identidad se encuentra en Cristo es la misma verdad que necesitarás recordar entonces como necesitas recordar ahora.

Esta publicación apareció originalmente en Tasting the Ocean.

As a child, I loved the action-packed stories of the Bible. I met the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 with amazement. Wonder filled me as I pictured David, a young shepherd boy, take down the giant Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The imagery and storytelling in Jesus’ parables drew me in and captured my attention.

My growth from childhood to adolescence paralleled my growth in studying the Scriptures. I began to hold firm to the conviction the narratives were not fables to read but reality to see. I learned the individual passages were not to be isolated from their context but to be understood in the light of the whole counsel of God. These two areas of growth and maturity as a student of Scripture led me to the book of Job. Through the life of Job, I saw the reality of suffering and the need for a Savior within the context of human history.

Like a sudden downpour, Job is showered with suffering. Consecutive news breaks to Job that he has lost his servants, his livestock, and his children (1:13-19). The toppling news is more than Job can bear. Then, on top of all that, Job gets struck with sores all over his body. With the sorrow filling his soul and the breakdown of his body, notice Job’s surprising response to the suffering. He understandably mourns and grieves over his losses, but he does not give up on God.

He still blesses and gives praise to God (1:20-21). When the counsel of the person closest to him advises, “Curse God and die” (2:9), Job remains faithful to God. The rest of the book does not shy away from sharing the struggles in Job’s heart as he pleads with God and questions God. In the end, though, Job looks to the Lord in trust through the midst of suffering.

The reality of Job’s sufferings hit home as I grew in adolescence and my parents began to struggle with their health. My father had a disease, but it took years before we finally arrived at a diagnosis: Parkinson’s disease. Then came news he additionally had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and needed treatment. My mother’s myriad of health issues also led to her diagnosis of multiple myeloma. In addition to disability, death entered our family. In the span of one year, I lost three of my grandparents.

Yet, the hardships of life did not cause my parents to grow hard-hearted toward God. Instead, these trials moved them to a greater trust in God. Their response to suffering exemplified the character of Job and served as an example for dealing with my own sufferings.

Nevertheless, dealing with suffering does not occur without a real struggle. Job, a man described as truly righteous, fearing God and turning away from evil (1:1), found himself asking questions in the midst of his suffering. When we see and experience trials, we often ask, “Why is there suffering in the world?” Scripture tells us suffering is one of the consequences of living in a fallen and sinful world.

A particular person’s suffering may not exactly correlate to their sin, but as sinners who live in a fallen world, we can expect suffering. The reason Job suffered was not because of his own sin, but we do see by the end of the book Job has cause for repentance (42:1-6). Looking at Job’s life in the context of Scripture, we see suffering reminds us we live in a sinful and fallen world that longs for a Savior.

Suffering should not lead us to despair. Job teaches us God is not absent in our suffering, but he is sovereign over it. God may grant Satan the opportunity to bring suffering, but he has given his Son to bring salvation. The reality of suffering should lead us to a living hope. It is this hope that Job clings to when he says, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth” (19:25).

As we see the puzzle piece of Job’s story fit into the storyline of the Bible, we come to meet this living Redeemer in Jesus Christ. The sting of suffering and sin does not have the final word, because the living Redeemer has defeated death by giving his life for all who repent of their sin and believe in him for salvation (Gal. 3:13). The suffering of Job is a pointer to the salvation of Job, only found in Jesus Christ.

Do we have a biblical perspective when suffering comes? In this life, we are guaranteed to go through suffering. We can expect it and must understand it through the lens of God’s sovereignty. As I witness the reality of Job’s suffering and the suffering that surrounds me in this life, I cling to the salvation found in Jesus Christ. The greatest thing suffering can do is point to redemption in the Savior. I have the teacher Job to thank for that lesson.

This semester at Crossroads has been the most fruitful for me yet. With this fruitfulness, of course, comes growth pains. I have been stretched more in the last couple of months than what I probably had been in the last five years. Clearly, it has been a while since I have been stretched this much. Albeit, school has not been the only thing stretching me. Church has as well. As I have been entrusted with more responsibilities at the church I am a member at, Crossroad Community, I find myself moving out of my comfort zone and building relationships because of it. It has been amazing! Even with all this, though, the biggest growth and most challenging issue I have faced this semester is a result of a course of I have been taking titled “Hermeneutics”. For those of you who may not know what that word means, it is the science and art of interpreting and applying the Bible. Not only has this been the biggest growth point, but it has also affected my other courses and my studies at church as well. It has cause me to stop and think about how I am handling the Word of God.

Right up front I want to say this: I want to be faithful to the Word of God. I realize now more than ever that to 2 Timothy 2:2 & 4:2 are critical to the ministry that God blesses and entrusts me with. I realize that to preach the Word of God is to preach the gospel. Although I feel it should have been obvious to me before, I am now aware that when I go into studying a text, my first question should be, “What does this teach me about God?” and not “How should I apply this to my life?” (There is a time for application for the individual but it is not of first importance.) Furthermore, when going into a text I must see how it points to Jesus Christ. That being the case, it is important to see at what point in redemptive history the text takes place. You can, then, be able to show how the passage points to fullness in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why the Christian message is unique!

In conclusion, I have been so affected by this course and the teaching that my hope is to possibly, if time and opportunity permit, share these concepts and teachings with the young adult group I have been blessed to be a part of. I know that as I want to be faithful to the Word, my fellow young adult brothers and sisters in the faith want to be as well. I believe this could greatly help and encourage them in studying the Bible. This course has also made me grow in appreciation for men of God who preach the gospel week in and week out even though it may not always be popular. For that, I would like to thanks the pastors God has allowed me to learn under and from, Andy Lee and McKeel Bowden. I, likewise, would like to thank Professor Nicholas Piotrowski for his heart on wanting Christian leaders to teach and preach with the right hermeneutics. May we stay faithful to the Word!