Late in his letter to the brothers and sisters in the region of Galatia, the inspired writer and apostle Paul wrote the following five simple, but yet powerful, words: “Through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). Like so many other short and “to the point” statements in the Bible, this timeless command should cause us to really and fully consider the importance of what the Holy Spirit wanted to convey to those of us who have chosen to serve God and in doing so, serve one another.
Love is the Motivation. By his statement, “Through love,” Paul acknowledged the possibility of doing good things for all the wrong reasons. I can help someone else so as to receive compensation. I can assist another person so that I’ll receive praise. But, neither of these are appropriate reasons. Instead, Christians seek the welfare of others because we love God and love others. This pattern was well established by our Savior who modeled this perfect behavior in the way He lived and, of course, in the way He laid down His life for humanity.
Service is Key. To serve is, really, to submit. If I choose to do something for you, it’s because of a choice that I have made. When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He showed all who follow Him what that means. And while it might be a challenge for us to say it, service is costly. To serve requires my time, my energy, and oftentimes, my financial resources. By choosing to serve, I’m making a decision to give up something of my own in order to help someone else. That, by definition, is a cost that I will have to incur. But, of course, I’m happy to do it because of the thing that motivates me – Love!
One Another - We’re in This Together! One of the New Testament’s most frequently used two words are “One Another.” What a beautiful and thought-provoking combination of words! We love each other because God loves us and has adopted us into His family. We get to serve each other because, again, we love each other. And we do so as family members who understand the communal aspect of our existence. There is absolutely no way that I can be fully pleasing to God without the assistance and encouragement that comes from my brethren. And, there’s no real way for you to do the same without the help that comes from me and others.
God’s design for His church is brilliant and worthy of all praise and thanks. His perfect creation must lead us to, through love, serve each other in His kingdom now and always.