WOW!!! As Christians we cannot forget that "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
By participating in ministries we heal others, and at the same time heal ourselves. Ministry to other people has a miraculous way of alleviating our own pain. (Did you ever realize how you take your focus off yourself when you are truly ministering to another person?)
Our purpose must always be to increase our love for God and our neighbors. In The Beauty of Caring Lloyd John Ogilview (1981) shares his thoughts on what it means to be a servant.
We are impelled.
Because our own needs have been met by Christ, we are impelled to help others in need.
We identify.
Servants do not serve from a safe distance; they feel the pain and suffering of another as if it were their own. When God came to us through Christ, he did not give lofty advice, he became one of us.
We intercede.
Prayers of intervention not only unleash the power of God in another person's life but also clarify what the Lord wants us to say to that person. The intensity of our caring must be focused so that it meets the person's deepest need.
We are involved.
We must listen to others and dare to enter their situations. It is easy to tell others what to do, but it is difficult to get inside their skin and feel their anguish, fear, or frustration. People need to feel an intense empathy.
We are incisive in introducing people to the Savior.
Many people help others with physical or emotional suffering, but leave them with an eternal problem. As servants, we must also help people heal spiritually.
In The Humanity of God Karl Barth states: "Jesus is wholly the Good Samaritan whose example demands that we go and do likewise."
Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21).