4 Practical Ways to Incorporate Service into your Daily Life

Picture of cookies in a basket, one of the many ways you can serve others


Today we will look at 4 practical ways to incorporate service into our daily lives.

I'm sure at some point or another, you have taken the spiritual gifts test to discern your specific gifting.  One of the tests I took included the spiritual gift of "help".  That did not turn out to be one of my spiritual gifts, lol, but I could immediately think of people I knew that indeed had that gift.

I've attended different churches over the years, but the one we are attending now has the most people gifted in the area of help that I have ever experienced.  These sweet women will volunteer in an instant to help someone out, whether it be a ride to a doctor's appointment, a listening ear, work around the church, just to name a few.

Although serving others might not come naturally to some, those who do not formally have the "gift of help" are still called to help and to serve.  As Christ followers, that is our calling in general.

When opportunities for service come up, you might think, "My schedule is too busy."  "I feel pushed to the limit already."  Or you might be a new mom who is sleep deprived and trying to get your bearings.  You may have a physical limitation that makes it hard for you to serve.

You're probably thinking, but Karen, aren't you naming people that would benefit from the "gift of help"?  How can they help people? 

If we aren't careful, and I am preaching to myself here, it is very easy to come up with reasons why we can't offer help, but unless it's a serious trial, most people can actually serve, even right where they are at.

Let's take a look at 4 practical ways to incorporate service into your daily lives.

Serve Others Through Your Time

This is probably the hardest service for me and probably for many others.  But if we get bogged down in the "time mindset", we miss out on opportunities to give our time in a simple, daily fashion.

Several suggestions come to mind:
  • Put aside the housework for a bit and play with your children
  • Text a friend to let them know you were thinking of them and ask how they are doing
  • While out running errands, pick up a coffee for a friend and bring it to her 
  • Put down the smartphone and be present with your husband, your children, your parents
  • Stop and pray for a friend in need
  • When baking a large batch of cookies for your family, bring a dozen of them to an elderly neighbor or a neighbor who recently lost a loved one or to a new neighbor
You get the idea.  Even when our own time is limited, any time we put into intentionally thinking of another whether our action is seen or unseen, is indeed an act of service.

Serve Others Through Your Hospitality


As I pondered hospitality, I realized I have put this word into a box.  When I think of hospitality, I think of hosting people in my home, but as I thought about this more, I realized that the act of being hospitable can happen wherever you are.

Here are a few ideas:
  • Wherever your day takes you, when you see a stranger, smile at them.  You never know what that smile could mean to the person the Lord has brought across your path.
  • When you are standing in line at the cash register, ask the cashier how her day has been.
  • While at work, be warm and welcoming to those you interact with.
  • Motion to the person who is having difficulty pulling out into a steady line of traffic to come out in front of you
You might be thinking, well aren't these no-brainers?  They should be, but I confess, I am not always in the headspace of serving daily in this manner.  Not that I am rude to people, but I might be caught up in whatever is going on in my own life and mind, where I am more introspective.   But as I have been coming out of "my shell" more and more to practice hospitality wherever I am, I am recognizing that people will see Christ when I behave in this manner, and indeed that is my purpose, to bring God Glory.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, 
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2

Serve Others Through A Good Attitude

This might seem like a stretch for service, but is it really?  When we walk around with a bad attitude, complaining, criticizing, we are doing a disservice to those around us.  What does the Bible say about the quarrelsome wife?  A constant dripping on a day of steady rain and a contentious woman are alike. Proverbs 27:15

A few ways to serve by showing a good attitude:
  • If your spouse says something that annoys you, just let it go...
  • When you are asked to stay late at work, but you are already tired, be gracious and agree to do so
  • If you are standing on a long check-out line because the cashier is slow and you find yourself becoming frustrated, when its your turn to check out, greet the cashier with a smile and a "how are you?"
  • If you are out and about and someone is rude to you, be kind to them.
In these examples, it is easy to see that by conducting ourselves with a good attitude, we are indeed serving those we have interacted with because we are showing them the love of Christ...

Love bears all things, believes all things, 
hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7

Serve Others Through Your Spiritual Gifts

The Lord blessed us with spiritual gifts not just to be used at church, but every day of our lives.  This is probably the easiest service to employ on a daily basis as our spiritual gifts are part of who we are.

Some of you may have the gift of:
  • teaching children
  • working with the elderly
  • doing volunteer work
  • blogging
  • writing
  • encouragement
  • ministry
just to name a few...

Many of these gifts might be part of your work day already. 

It is so important that we use our spiritual gifts to serve others because these are in large part the works the Lord prepared for us to do before the worlds began in order to bring Him glory.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, 
as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10


May we all seek to incorporate service into our daily lives and testify to the love of Christ while bringing Glory to God.

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Comments

  1. I am so grateful to you for writing this post. It is a gift of service from you to me! I have not been able to serve in the ways that I have always done in the past because of some physical issues that have severely limited me for the past couple of years. I have felt like I'm "worthless" and not helping or giving to others like I have done in the past and would love to do again. But, your lists of examples have shown me that I do still serve because I do many of these things already and I can even think of a few more I can add! I don't say that to build myself up in anyones eyes. I just want you to know just how much you have encouraged me today. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really needed this post today.
    Blessings,
    Betsy
    betsy-thesimplelifeofaqueen.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Betsy, Awe. Well that just makes this blogpost all the more worthwhile. Praising God He was able to use me to minister to you.

      Amen! I'm sure you certainly do! :-)

      Again, I am humbled and so happy that the Lord was able to use this blog post to bring such encouragement to your heart.

      You are so very welcome!

      May the Lord bless you in all of your service to Him.

      Thank you so much for leaving such an encouraging comment for me. :-)

      Delete
  2. There is SO much room in the kingdo of God for us and for our gifts. All we have to do is remain available and say yes to the nudges of God's Spirit when he makes a need known to us. Blessings to you in your own life of service!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Michele, Indeed!

      Thank you and same to you Michele!

      Thanks so much for stopping by. :-)

      Delete
  3. We all have the ability to contribute in some way. Thank you for these thoughtful suggestions. God gives us each our own unique set of abilities in order to serve Him.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Indeed, the Lord does give us our own unique set of abilities in order to serve Him so that we can serve in our unique spheres of people and in our unique circumstances.

      Thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate it!

      Delete
  4. I love these simples suggestions of ways we can serve without having to spend a lot of time or effort. Sometimes the most simple things are enough to turn around someone else's day! Great post, Karen.

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    1. Hi Lisa, Indeed! Simplicity certainly has it's place! :-)

      Thank you! And thanks so much for stopping by.

      Delete
  5. These are all great points! I especially like serving others with a good attitude. That's something we all can do no matter our age or how much time we have.

    Pinned.

    Thank you for linking up at InstaEncouragements!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Patsy, Indeed!

      Thanks so much for the pin and thanks so much for stopping by.

      You are very welcome! :-)

      Delete
  6. As I read your words, I thought of how important these dear people are to the body of Christ - those who reach out and are so willing to pitch in and clean the church and do so many jobs that others may consider beneath them. How would we function without such giving people? This is such a wonderful and much-needed post, dear friend. May the Lord bless you for your continual faithfulness to His call upon your life. I beg to differ with the assessment you took because YOU, my friend, in my opinion, are very gifted in this area. You have ministered to me so many, many times, and I can only imagine how much you "help" everyone in your circle. May the Lord richly bless you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cheryl! Very well stated. You are so right!

      Thank you so much sweet friend.

      Awe, you are so kind. You words have blessed me, as they always do. :-)

      Sending love and blessings to you

      Delete
  7. Great points and showing that it could be a simple smile and greeting that can brighten someones day and serving can take a variety of forms . Thank you for your service in reaching out and sharing these encouragements!! I always love that scripture from Hebrews about never knowing if the ones we meet are angels, and the way Abraham was always ready to jump up and serve, and even sought out opportunities to do so!! Blessings and Peace be with you!!:))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shayndel, You are very welcome!

      Yes! That is a wonderful verse! And you're so right about Abraham! I never really thought about that before.

      Thanks so much for stopping by.

      Blessings to you too! :-)

      Delete
  8. Thank you so much for the encouragement and validation! Sometimes I think if we'd actively reclaim our Christian heritage of courtesy and consideration, our world would be so different. Perhaps one area of service we could offer each other is to acknowledge and thank each other for even simple acts of kindness to those around us. Thanks and blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alice, You are very welcome!

      Very well said. Thanks for sharing.

      Blessings to you too! :-)

      Delete
  9. Some great ideas and suggestions for just being and showing good Christian manners and help to others. Thanks for sharing with Sunday Scripture Blessings today. :) Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Peabea, "Good Christian manners" Very well said!

      Thanks for stopping and wishing a great week right back to you!

      Blessings,

      Delete
  10. We can always use practical ideas to inspire us to serve others! I think if we start with doing these small and simple things, we'll get in the habit and will be able to do more and do it more naturally as we develop those "muscles"

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    1. Hi Kym, Yes! I like that! Develop our service muscles. Well said!

      Thanks so much for contributing to the conversation and for stopping by.

      Blessings,

      Delete
  11. I've never thought of hospitality being outside of the home. This opens up a whole new way to serve. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Valerie, You are very welcome!

      And thank you for stopping by!

      Blessings,

      Delete
  12. Great thoughts and perfect ways of implementation !! The sad part is, you need to teach people empathy and kindness out of the way. The hospitality and right attitude are the qualities that should be taught right from childhood. Thank you for the remarkable tips that are easier to follow, and that should be followed.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Andrea, Thank you. :-)

      I wholeheartedly agree with you.

      Thanks for adding to the conversation. I appreciate it!

      You are very welcome!

      Thanks for stopping by. :-)

      Delete
  13. What wonderful ideas! I appreciate getting practical ideas for service.

    Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I'm featuring you this week!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Richella, Thank you so much for featuring me at Imparting Grace. And thank you for graciously hosting each week.

      Blessings,

      Delete
  14. Thank you for sharing such lovely thoughts. I liked the third point “serving others with a good attitude”, I believe that’s something which we can do no matter what age or time we have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mayura, You are very welcome.

      Indeed!

      Thanks so much for stopping by. :-)

      Delete

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