Mission Ready: How Serving Others Strengthens Your Faith

Because your spiritual muscles don’t grow just sitting in a church chair.

Most men think spiritual growth looks like:

• Reading more Bible

• Praying longer

• Listening to sermons

• Nodding seriously when someone says “amen”

And those things are good. But there’s a difference between knowledge and strength. Knowledge fills you. Strength changes you. You don’t get stronger by watching workouts, right? (Imagine telling your wife: “I didn’t go to the gym, but I watched a guy do push-ups on YouTube.”)

She’s calling 911. For help. For you. The same goes for faith: Faith grows when you use it and nothing activates faith like serving others.

Jesus Didn’t Just Teach — He Served

At the Last Supper, the night before the cross, Jesus didn’t preach a deep theological lecture. He grabbed a towel, knelt down, and washed feet.

Feet. Dusty, calloused, sandal-wearing, first-century-walking-everywhere feet. That wasn’t leadership in theory, that was leadership in action. Mark 10:45 — “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” If the Savior serves…His men serve too.

Why Serving Others Changes You

Serving others:

• Breaks pride

• Builds compassion

• Strengthens love

• Trains patience

• Develops humility

• Sharpens purpose

• Brings joy back into your walk with God

Serving is spiritual weightlifting.

And just like the gym, the first few reps feel awkward.

But Men Often Think:

“I want to serve…I just don’t know where to start.”

Or let’s be honest:

“I’ll help…as long as it doesn’t interfere with snacks, naps, or football.”

So let’s make this practical.

Where Can You Serve Right Now? (No Seminary Degree Required)

1. Serve Your Wife

Not by announcing it like a superhero. Not by doing it once and expecting applause. Serve quietly. Consistently. Lovingly.

Examples:

• Do the dishes without being asked 🤯

• Ask, “How can I lighten your load today?”

• Take initiative — don’t wait for instructions

Men think serving your wife makes you weak. But it actually makes you Christ-like.

2. Serve Your Kids

Not by just being present…while scrolling your phone like it’s 1999 Tetris championships. Put the phone down. Get in their world. Ask questions. Play. Pray with them before bed. Say the words: “I’m proud of you.”

Your kids don’t need Disney-level entertainment. They need a father who sees them.

3. Serve Your Church

Not by consuming, but contributing. Join a team:

• Greeter

• Parking crew

• Men’s group

• Setup / teardown

• Youth mentor

• Prayer team

You don’t need a microphone to make an impact. Faith grows in participation, not observation.

4. Serve Your Community

Find someone who needs something you can give.

• Mow a neighbor’s lawn

• Bring a meal to someone recovering

• Volunteer once a month

• Help someone move

• Visit someone who’s alone

Serving doesn't require a stage, just availability.

The Funny Truth About Serving:

Serving others often reveals how not holy we are yet. You’ll be helping someone move and suddenly think: “Lord…why do they own 64 boxes of books they’ve never read?”

Or you’ll be praying with someone and your brain is like: “Did I leave the garage door open?”

Or you’ll try to do the dishes and your wife will quietly rewash them after you go to bed. Serving exposes ego, so God can remove it.

Serving Makes You Mission Ready

Want to discover your purpose? Serve.

Want to deepen your marriage? Serve.

Want to break free from anxiety? Serve.

Want to hear God more clearly? Serve.

Want to feel alive spiritually again? Serve.

Serving shifts your life from: “God, bless me”to:“God, use me.”

And that is where purpose lives.

Scripture that Anchors This

• Galatians 5:13 — “Through love serve one another.”

• John 13:14-15 — “I have given you an example.”

• James 2:17 — “Faith without works is dead.”

Faith is like a muscle: Use it, or lose it.

You don’t need:

• More information

• More time

• More perfect circumstances

You need to take one simple step of obedience today.

Your purpose isn’t waiting for you to “finally get it together.” Your purpose is standing right in front of you, in the needs of the people God already placed in your life. Start there.

That’s where faith gets strong.

⚔️ Call to Action:

Before today ends, do one act of service.Doesn’t matter how small.

• Send an encouraging message

• Pray with your wife

• Help your kid with something you normally brush off

• Ask someone at church, “How can I help?”

One step.

Because warriors don’t wait for purpose, they step into it.