Why Volunteer?

Robby Bradfordassimilation, Christianity, Church life, discipleship, First Assembly of God Lafayette, volunteering1 Comment

People volunteer to serve in churches for all kinds of reasons.  Some are looking for recognition for others to see how great they are or maybe for God to notice their hard work.  Others serve in hopes to receive something more by contributing to God’s kingdom.  I’ve met others who serve simply for social connections.


I’d like to suggest that the best reason to volunteer in any area is out of a sense that God is leading you to do it.  Not because someone asked you or begged you to do it, but because you sense the leading of God’s Spirit.  When you’re doing what you’re for the reason of following God’s voice, there are a few instant benefits, from my point of view:

  1. We won’t become as quickly discouraged or frustrated.  When we’re serving because we’re following God’s leading, it doesn’t matter as much what the immediate outcome is or whether I think my contribution was noticed by the right people because what I do is for God, not for people.  I also will take longer to become disappointed with the leader of the ministry I’m serving, as my perspective is that I am answering God’s prompting.
  2. Our reward is spiritual.  Jesus teaches that we should give, pray, fast, etc., privately, so our reward is sure.  Whenever recognition is the motivation for serving, we open ourselves to disappointment, as rarely recognition is ever what we’re hoping will come from it.
  3. When I am motivated by a desire to serve God when I volunteer, I can accept that my contribution, no matter how small or great, has value in God’s kingdom.  When we don’t get immediate positive feedback or results, we can rest in the fact that our service is to God and that he sees and rewards what we gladly give him.
I’m wanting to take all the efforts of my life, not just volunteering, but the service I give to my family, the work I do around the house, my role as a husband and father, and see it all as a response to God’s call.  This perspective will help to change my experiences increasingly into a delight of God’s goodness and peace.

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