Serving the Lord with all Humility
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Serving the Lord is not only about what we do, but also about the manner of life we live as we serve Him. Acts 20:19 describes Paul as serving the Lord “with all humility, with many tears and trials.” His life shows us that serving God is not always easy or comfortable. There will be challenges, opposition and difficult seasons, but true service is marked by humility and a willingness to remain faithful through it all.
Paul had spent years serving God as a missionary, travelling from place to place and establishing churches. When he came to Miletus and met the elders from Ephesus, he reminded them of the way he had lived among them from the beginning. He wanted them to remember not only what he had taught, but also how he had lived—serving the Lord with humility, even through tears and trials.
Humility is therefore closely connected with service. When we serve the Lord, we are also serving people, whether in the church, at home, in the workplace or wherever God has placed us. Paul understood that people have many different needs, and he was willing to enter into their lives, walk with them through their pain and serve them through the Gospel. True ministry is not about having an easy life, but about being willing to serve others even when it comes with hardship.
This also causes us to examine what truly matters in our lives. The things we accumulate—our education, achievements, money and possessions—will eventually be left behind. What matters is who we are. Paul’s life challenges us to look beyond the things of this world and consider whether our lives are being spent serving God and serving others with humility. As we look at Paul’s example, we will consider three important areas of serving the Lord with all humility: the manner of life, the message of life, and the motivation of life.
The Manner Of Life
Paul’s manner of life showed what it meant to serve the Lord with all humility. In Acts 20:17–19, he reminded the elders of Ephesus of how he had lived among them from the very beginning. His service was marked by humility, many tears and trials. Ministry was not always easy or comfortable for Paul, but he continued to serve because he understood that serving the Lord also meant serving people.
Paul’s example also shows us that serving the Lord is not limited to what we do within the church. There are opportunities to serve wherever God has placed us—in our workplace, at home, among our friends and relatives. When we learn the joy of serving, it becomes a manner of life. We begin to see the needs around us and look for ways to help, especially by serving others through the Gospel.
This kind of service also requires compassion. Paul understood that people were going through pain, sickness, lack, emotional struggles and many other difficulties. Because he knew how God had redeemed him, he was able to enter into the lives of hurting people and serve them with compassion. We may not always be able to meet every physical need, but we can introduce people to Jesus and share the Gospel with them in love, without condemning or judging them.
Serving the Lord with humility also means recognising that our lives are not ultimately about the things we accumulate. Education, wealth, strength, intelligence and other achievements may have their place, but they will all be left behind when our earthly life comes to an end. What matters is what we are and how we have lived. We have been given the privilege of having Christ in us, and now we have something to offer the world through Him.
Paul’s life therefore gives us a clear picture of what it means to serve the Lord with all humility. His life was centred on serving the Gospel, even when it brought tears, opposition and hardship. He did not allow trials to stop him from serving, because he knew that the message of Christ had to reach others. Our manner of life should likewise reflect a willingness to serve, knowing that whatever difficulties come along the way, God is with us as we serve Him and serve the Gospel.
The Message Of Life
Our manner of life is closely connected to the message we carry. In Acts 20:20–21, Paul said that he did not hold back anything that was helpful, but taught publicly and from house to house, testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether he was speaking to a crowd or sitting with people personally, Paul was always looking for ways to communicate the Gospel. His message was not something he kept to himself; it was something he was compelled to share.
Paul’s message was clear: repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance means changing our way of thinking and turning away from the wrong direction to God. This was not always a message people wanted to hear, but Paul did not change it simply to make people comfortable or to gain their approval. He continued to proclaim the truth because he knew that the Gospel was able to bring people out of the trap of sin and lead them to God.
This teaches us that serving the Gospel will not always produce a positive response. There may be rejection, opposition and even broken relationships, but that should not stop us from sharing what God has entrusted to us. We are not called to control how people respond; we are called to faithfully sow the message. There may be times when we only have an opportunity to begin a conversation, leave a seed or share something about Christ. We may not be the person who eventually sees the result, but we have still done our part in serving the Gospel.
Paul also understood the seriousness of carrying this message. Acts 20:22–24 shows his strong conviction as he went towards Jerusalem, knowing that tribulations awaited him, yet he would not allow these things to move him. His desire was to finish his race with joy and complete the ministry he had received from the Lord Jesus—to testify to the Gospel of water and Spirit. Ezekiel 33:6 likewise reminds us of the responsibility of the watchman to sound the warning. The message of life is therefore not something we should take lightly; having received the Gospel, we have a responsibility to faithfully proclaim it.
This brings us back to the way we live. After being born again through the Gospel of water and Spirit that is through Jesus’ baptism, death and resurrection. This Gospel has given us life, and because we have received this grace, we are also called to carry the same message to others. We are to ask people to repent and believe in Jesus, just as Paul did to share the Gospel even when people reject us or become offended, our responsibility is to remain faithful and continue sharing the Gospel that has brought us life.
The Motivation Of Life
A humble life is also revealed by what motivates us. Acts 20:33–35 shows us Paul’s motivation clearly: he did not covet anyone’s silver, gold or clothing, but worked with his own hands and showed others that they should support the weak. He remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” His focus was not on what he could gain from others, but on what he could give and how he could serve.
This gives us a simple question to examine ourselves: are we takers or givers? Paul’s life was marked by giving. He gave his time, his talent and his resources, while also working so that he would not become a burden to others. He continued to serve through preaching, teaching and ministering. His motivation was not to accumulate wealth for himself, but to have something that he could give to others and use for the work of God.
The Gospel of water and Spirit should produce the same kind of heart in us. We have been saved through the Gospel of water and Spirit, and we are now rooted and alive in Christ, clothed in His righteousness, grace, and mercy. Because Christ has given Himself for us, our lives should not remain centred on ourselves. A giving spirit should flow from the salvation we have received through the Gospel of water and Spirit, causing us to give our time, talent, and resources for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.
Paul also shows us that giving helps us overcome covetousness and idleness. When we learn to give our time, talent and money, we are no longer controlled by the desire to keep everything for ourselves. Paul worked with his own hands so that he could provide for his needs and continue serving others. There is dignity in working, remaining active and using what God has given us so that we can contribute to the work of God and support those who are weak.
The motivation of life therefore moves us away from a self-centred way of living and towards a life of generosity and service. What we spend on ourselves will eventually be gone, and what we leave behind will belong to someone else, but what we give towards the work of God remains. This is why Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. A humble heart asks not simply, “What can I receive?” but, “What can I give?” and “How can I support the weak and serve others with what God has entrusted to me?”
Living It Out
Paul’s life challenges us to look beyond what we receive and ask what we are giving through our lives. Serving the Lord with humility means being willing to serve the people around us, whether in church, at home, at work or among our friends and relatives. We may face difficulties, rejection and trials along the way, but we are called to remain faithful in serving the Gospel. Having been born again through the Gospel of water and Spirit, we have received the saving work of Jesus through His baptism, death and resurrection, and this Gospel is not something we should keep to ourselves.
Our motivation also matters. Are we living as takers, always looking for what we can receive, or as givers who are willing to give our time, talents and resources to serve others? Paul showed us a life of giving and reminded the believers to support the weak, remembering the words of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Let us therefore live with a giving and serving spirit, knowing that the things we accumulate in this world will eventually be left behind, but a life spent serving God and others reflects what we truly value.
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