“God does not need us, He actually wants us! He wants to work through us to serve those around us. Galatians 5:13 gives us three insights about how God has called us to come alive to greatness by serving others.

First, the basis for serving others is salvation. Paul said, “You were called to freedom.” A person cannot serve God until they’ve been set free from their sins by Jesus. It’s the prerequisite for serving others. 

Until we experience the transforming power of God’s grace in our lives, we’re too enslaved by our own sinful habits, hurts, and hang-ups to think much about others. Without the freedom of forgiveness, we’ll end up serving for the wrong reasons: trying to earn the approval of others, trying to run away from our own pain, trying to remedy our guilt, trying to impress God. 

This type of serving is still trying to make us look great and leaves us burned out in the end. Our greatness comes from trusting in the greatness of Christ.

Second, the barrier to serving others is selfishness. Paul warns, “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.” The number one reason we don’t have the time or energy to serve others is because we are preoccupied with our own agendas, dreams, and pleasures. 

We try to combat our feelings of condemnation and inadequacies by proving we are great. We seek to establish our greatness in having others serve us and our dreams.

Yet, seeking greatness through people serving us just leaves us empty and exhausted. It’s only in serving others that we finally start to live in fullness and become great. Looking out for someone else’s needs rather than our own is the only way to live alive.

Third, the purpose for serving is love. Paul says, “Serve one another in love.” God has created us for a purpose. That purpose is only found in serving others in love. God has already placed a purpose inside of us. Our job is to live out that purpose regardless of our circumstances.

When we live with the purpose to serve others, things start to change.

We’ll start seeking to be used by God in situations we used to curse. We’ll start giving our best to the job we used to hate. We’ll start loving the people we used to avoid. That’s what living out our purpose looks like. It’s the ability to find purpose in serving others no matter what we are doing.

Pray that God would give you more opportunities to live in greatness by serving others as you go throughout your day. Be obedient to what God is saying in your specific situations, knowing that obedience to God’s voice is the only path to greatness.”

Excerpt From

40 Days 2019 • Live Alive

the Journey ~ Pastor James Hilton