Serving The Lord

Serving – July/August 2025 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Serving The Lord
How To Balance His Service With Other
Responsibilities And Not Be Overwhelmed

Let us look in God’s Word, the Bible, to find help for this important matter. When we study the lives of the apostles and of many believers, we wonder how they were able to balance their service of the Lord with other responsibilities they had. Obviously, this is an issue that all believers face who have a heart to serve Him. When putting the Lord first, He will give us grace to find the right balance between serving the Lord and taking proper care of other responsibilities.

Every believer, young or old, male or female, married or not, will face challenges as to how to find and keep such a balance, obviously with the Lord’s help. My answer to this important question is simple: a servant of the Lord – a brother or sister in Christ, who serves Him in whatever capacity this may be – needs to fully trust Him for direction and support. While giving this answer, we note that it is easier for a servant to say that he or she relies on the Lord than to live it out in the various trials and challenges that God may allow.

What is the right solution? I have read many biographies about missionaries and this critical issue of the right balance was often addressed. Saying that we need to fully trust the Lord while serving Him may seem a simplistic answer. However, many who have gone through great trials as they served the Lord confirm the answer to be true, and Scripture shows He is faithful to provide for those whom He has called and who rely on Him. It takes faith to experience His faithfulness.

Truly, without Him we cannot do anything – a sobering truth. The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. As to every branch in Me not bearing fruit, He takes it away; and as to everyone bearing fruit, He purges it that it may bring forth more fruit. Ye are already clean by reason of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, thus neither can ye unless ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:1-5 JND). Communion with the Lord, in faith and through the Holy Spirit, is the secret for serving Him. This crucial matter of the servant and his responsibilities, as well as the Lord’s provisions for His work, implies the ongoing necessity to rely on Him.

The Lord explained in the same passage, “Unless anyone abide in Me, he is cast out as the branch, and is dried up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall come to pass to you. In this is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, and ye shall become disciples of Mine” (vv.6-8). How simple, yet how profound! 

After Israel’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, visited Moses and his family. They enjoyed sweet fellowship and rejoiced in the blessings God had provided for His people Israel. The next day Jethro saw how busy Moses was in settling issues among the people, and Jethro counseled his son-in-law to delegate those matters to others, except for the very difficult matters (Ex. 18:14-26; Dt. 1:14-18). This arrangement seemed right and brought relief, but a question remains as to whether this was really God’s desired solution.

When the people of Israel approached the Promised Land, two-and-a-half of the Twelve Tribes wanted to stay east of the Jordan, where there was an abundance of provisions. Moses gave them their portion of land there, but the other nine-and-a-half tribes still needed to cross the Jordan under Joshua’s leadership and take possession of their promised inheritance. This implied significant effort: crossing a river, entering the land and fighting the enemies there. It might have seemed much easier to settle in the area where they already were, east of the Promised Land, with all its abundance.

Despite the many apparent risks, Joshua went forward, and the LORD helped him and the nine-and-a-half tribes. They took possession of their promised inheritance, together with many blessings. The courageous men of two-and-a-half tribes accompanied their brethren of the other tribes, helping them to overcome the enemies and take possession of God’s promised inheritance.

What shall we say? The two-and-a-half tribes preferred the seemingly easier solution even though they were committed to go and fight alongside the nine-and-a-half tribes. They then returned to their inheritance east of the Jordan instead of taking possession of the Promised Land. There is a lesson in this for us. He wants us to take possession of our heavenly and spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3) besides enjoying the earthly and temporal blessings which He graciously gives. Indeed, the Lord gives us an abundance here to use as good stewards for His glory and for our temporal benefit. Yet, He desires for us to have a heart for what is precious to Him and to enjoy the heavenly, spiritual and eternal blessings that He has given us, which are our real and lasting possession. And, we are greatly privileged in that He wants to help us to have the right perspective between earthly responsibilities and His interests. We love Him and look for His coming!

By Alfred Bouter

Our opportunity of service lies in the present; we cannot count upon tomorrow. More than that, if your work is left undone, no one else can do it, for each has his own particular sphere and work. One might say, “I am not gifted; I cannot do public speaking.” But we answer, “A life lived for Christ is the most powerful sermon!” Serve God in your home, in your business, in your town, but do not preach even a mile from your home unless you live Christ at home. Serve your generation. You may serve sinners by preaching the gospel, or, if that be not your line, by speaking to individuals, by scattering a simple gospel tract, and by helping in His work by your prayers. But, above all, live Christ. Or it may be that your service is for fellow believers. You may not be able to publicly minister to them, but you can speak to them individually about Christ, care for the weak ones, visit the aged, or wash a floor for an ill sister. The little things done as if they were great ones display the devoted heart, for every little thing is to be done for Him who is infinitely great and worthy. And, the greatest thing we can do is truly little, as we think of Him for whom it is done. —A. J. Pollack, “A Fine Epitaph” (adapted).