February 3, 2016

The gift of helps, or the gift of serving is having the desire and ability to help others, and to do whatever it takes to get a task accomplished. Serving can also be referred to as “ministering,” of which the Greek word “diakonia” (from which we get the English “deacon”) means service of any kind or helping those in need. Christian’s like to divide up the “marks” of the church into categories and terms. They are oftentimes broken down like this:

Service — diakonia
Communion, community, fellowship — koinonia
Proclamation — kerygma
Worship – leitourgia

Diakonia in the bible is usually rendered as service or ministering to others. What are the biblical examples of service? 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 states “For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God”. Or, Acts 6:1 says “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.”

What are your examples of service? Do you see service as holding a door for someone in a wheelchair? Or is service washing your parent’s car, or walking the dog, or shoveling your neighbor’s driveway, or sending money to support a missionary across the globe?

Serving others in the name of Christ can come in so many different forms, and there are so many needs in the church, the community and in the world. Service does not require a lot of money, just the time and the interest in living out the Gospel message to love your neighbor.

Pastor Dave