Serve and Support One Another
"One Another" Study, Lesson 5
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The last couple weeks, we’ve looked at “one another” commands that apply primarily to how we interact with our local fellow believers. We’ve seen the importance of having fellowship with one another to gain instruction, worship God, and be united together. We’ve also seen that it is important to encourage each other to stay strong in the faith. This week, we’ll look at what it means to serve and support one another.
What would God’s family be if everyone were only concerned about themselves? If everyone wanted to be the one being served, but no one wanted to serve? Many people in our world feel entitled to have everything happen according to their every demand without stopping to think about how that affects other people. As Christians, we should be the opposite. We should be willing to serve other people and support them when needed. We’ll split this lesson into two parts: Serve and support.
Serve One Another
We started this study with a look at the command to love one another. So many of the other “one another” commands follow from this act of love, including the command to serve one another.
Galatians 5:13-14: 13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Not only should our love cause us to serve one another, but the attitude that we should have while we serve is humility, just as we talked about in the Be Kind to One Another lesson. Love and humility are essential for the act of service. These are the exact qualities that Jesus had that motivated him to come down to earth from heaven to teach us the way of repentance and to die for our sins. As Christians, we should model these same qualities to those around us.
As we are loving and serving one another, we should remember to share the gifts that we’ve been given as we serve.
1 Peter 4:8-11: 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
God gave each one of us gifts to use to serve others. We don’t all have the same gifts. Some have gifts of teaching and leading worship. Some have gifts for taking care of property. Some have gifts in technology. Some have gifts in taking care of children. Some have gifts of cooking or cleaning. If any person refuses to use their gifts to serve others, then we end up with gaps in areas of service. Each person must find a way to contribute to the body of Christ to make it function properly. Paul says a lot more about this in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 where he talks about the church having many parts but one body.
One particular gift that Christians should share with one another is hospitality. Hospitality involves welcoming people into your home or church or circle of friends. It may involve providing a meal or a place to sleep, or maybe just a place to hang out and have an event or activity. The person hosting often has extra costs, such as the cost of food, and often spends extra time getting prepared. This act of service is essential for creating a welcoming atmosphere that helps people fellowship with one another and feel a sense of belonging in God’s family. It is an easy way that every single person can serve those around them.
Support One Another
Another way we can serve one another is by offering support in times of hardship. We are told to bear with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
We find out a little more about what this means in other epistles of Paul.
Colossians 3:12-14: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Galatians 6:1-2: 6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
In the context of these verses, the commands to bear with one another and carry each other’s burdens are mentioned in the context of sin or grievances. As Christians, we are called to gently help each other deal with the sin in our lives. This takes love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. It’s hard to deal with sin in our lives. It’s uncomfortable. It causes us to have to deny our sin nature and take on God’s holy nature. It means we can’t always have or do the things that we want. And we will be more successful at this if we have the support of fellow Christians around us who help us carry that load and encourage us to stay on the right track.
But keep in mind that this is not a one-direction relationship. We are told that all the parts of the body should have equal concern for each other.
1 Corinthians 12:24b-26: But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Not everyone will struggle with something big all at the same time. So those who are strong should help those who are weaker at the moment, and in the future, it’s likely that at some point, those roles will be reversed. This reciprocal relationship helps God’s body of believers stay strong and persevere as we all suffer together and rejoice together. This keeps us united in the faith and in love for each other.
Conclusion
As a body of believers, Christians are called to serve and support one another. We serve one another according to our gifts, knowing that not everyone has the same gifts. We must work together to make sure that all the needs within the church are met. We also support one another, knowing that at times we all have weak moments and need others to help us get through, especially when we are struggling with sin. Having a body of believers available to help correct us with kindness, humility, patience, love, and forgiveness is key to keeping us collectively and individually strong in the faith.