What Is My PurposeSýnishorn

Washing one another's feet

John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Our purpose in the kingdom of God is to serve the community of God’s people. Jesus spells this out in John 13 first by washing the feet of the disciples as an example for us to follow (John 13:15), and then by adding the command for us to love our fellow believers. John 13:34-35 says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” We see the early church living out this command in Acts 4:34-35 which says, “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; they distributed to each as anyone had need.

Following Jesus is not a journey we are meant to undertake alone. We must get integrated into the community of fellow believers and serve this community as an expression of our love for them. This is what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 14 when he says that we are to use the gifts that the Spirit gives us to build the community of God. The gifts themselves don’t show us our calling but are to be used to fulfil our calling which is to serve the community of God. Paul himself served the church for 13 years before the church sent him as a missionary. Though God had called him on the Damascus road, he submitted to the authority of the church and waited for them to commission him.

In Acts 6, we see that there was a problem in the early church over the administration of food to orphans and widows. Now Stephen, who was one of the people selected to serve food, was a miracle worker (Acts 6:8) and a powerful Bible teacher (Acts 6:10). Yet when the church asked him to look after the distribution of food, he did not object. The apostles had delegated this task saying that it was not a proper use of their time (Acts 6:2). Stephen could have protested too, but he knew the call of every Christian is to serve the church and he did so.

Many complain that their talents and gifts are not properly utilized by the church. This comes from a misconception that our call is linked to our gifts. That is not the case. What we are called to do is to serve the church not use our gifts. The gifts must be made subject to our call and not vice versa. So we render service wherever the church has a need. There are many examples in the Bible of people who were called to serve outside of their comfort zone. Moses complained that he was not gifted for what he was called to do. Jeremiah complained bitterly about his call. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Himself asked if he could have a different path.

That doesn’t mean that we ignore our gifts. Rather we use them within the responsibilities given to us. Serving tables would not have prevented Stephen from using his gifts. I can see him praying away the minor illnesses of the widows and answering the question they had about their plight while continuing to teach the Bible and heal people. That is what we are called to do.

My policy, based on this, is to never say “No” to what the church asks me to do, though I do insist on clarity of purpose and goals.

Serving the church doesn’t have to be something elaborate. It can be as simple as encouraging the pastor by being in church on time or smiling at people and listening to those who want to talk. Just doing that is a great service to the church.

How involved are you with your church?