They had been walking all morning. The sun was high and hot. They were tired and hungry. Jesus, wearied from the journey, sat down by Jacob’s well and waited for His disciples to return from town with food to strengthen them for the rest of their journey. But then, something happened—an encounter with a lost soul, a heart forever changed, a life rewritten. And suddenly, His weariness seemed to vanish. When the disciples returned and offered Him food, His hunger appeared already satisfied. He had found different food.
The disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But Jesus responded with a statement that echoed deeper than physical hunger: “I have food to eat that you do not know about” (John 4:32). They didn’t understand. But He explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). That was His nourishment—obedience. Joy. The deep soul-satisfaction of doing what the Father sent Him to do. His strength was restored not by what He consumed, but by what He gave. This was joy. This was life. Not in comfort or leisure, but in obedience. Not in being served, but in pouring Himself out for the lost. That’s what satisfied Him. The joy of serving others, of being used by God to reach even one lost soul, was greater to Jesus than rest—greater than food. And if we are in Christ, He offers us that same joy.
This is what it means to follow Christ—not just to believe, but to follow and thus, like Him, to pour ourselves out in the same Spirit. Not as those trying to earn salvation or even love, but as those who desire to freely give as they have freely received.
The commands of Christ in the great commission may seem narrow or focused at first glance. The Great Commission might appear to only be speaking of religious activity and teaching. But when we look at the Lord’s charge seriously and carefully, we’ll see that it is all-encompassing. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).
This commanded mission is not something we fit in when convenient—it’s meant to consume all that we do and say. This commission is not just the job of the pastor or teacher or scholar or evangelist. It’s the privilege of every believer. We fulfill this commission not just with teaching and preaching, but with service and love.
And yet, for many Christians, the idea of serving feels like a heavy burden—a to-do list we’re always failing to keep up with. Make no mistake, service can be taxing. Even Jesus got tired. But what if service—real, Gospel-shaped service—was not just a cross to carry, but also a joy to discover?
If you belong to Christ, God has made you to be like Jesus—and like Jesus to do his will. In Him you are already equipped with everything you need to make an eternal impact. Scripture says that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3), and that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
The question isn’t, “Am I doing enough?” but rather, “Am I doing what I have been called to do with what God has given me?”
Our God does not desire that we see service the way an angsty teenager does chores so that he can finally get back to what he really wants to do. Grudging service is better than no service at all—but a joyless, reluctant, minimalist attitude is not what God wants from or for His children. In Luke 15, Jesus shares three parables about heaven’s attitude when the lost are found. What is the repeated response? Celebration! This celebration is what God longs to give His children as they serve Him. The joy of being used for the Kingdom—of participating in the miracle of seeing the lost found—is second only to being found ourselves!
Maybe you feel like what you have to offer is too small. Maybe your energy is low, your schedule packed, or your confidence shaken. Remember that throughout Scripture, God delights in using the “little.” Jesus used the shared lunch of a nameless boy to feed thousands (John 6:9–13). A widow gave all she had in giving only two small coins, and Jesus praised her above all (Mark 12:41–44). So don’t believe the lie that because you can’t do everything, you shouldn’t do anything. You don’t have to be in charge. You don’t have to be confident, or extroverted, or knowledgeable. You just have to be willing and faithful. “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple—truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Don’t give in to the pressure from yourself or from others that you need to be like other people. There is only one you are called to emulate. So, understand that you were made to be you in the body of Christ. And because of that purposeful design, you have something to offer that no one else has—yourself.
So serve in the strength God provides (1 Peter 4:11)—not in the pressure of comparison. Write the note. Pray the prayer. Help serve the children in their class. Visit the lonely. Encourage the weary. Open your home. “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). This is why we pour ourselves out. Not for accolade or acclaim. Not to be noticed. Not even because someone asked. But because God has first loved us and He has placed and positioned us to serve His purposes—to love and serve as He loved and served—for the sake of the Gospel. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
When our mindset shifts from “What do I have to do?” to “What can I give because of what I’ve received?”, everything changes. Let’s stop seeing service as depleting. Let’s stop seeing it as something we “have to do” and start seeing it as something we “get to do.” Let’s see service as love, as worship. When we do so, we will find joy.
Pastor Brian