Ask yourself a very simple question: “What might I do that would demonstrate my desire to be like the Savior and bring many opportunities to share the gospel?”

The answer is one word – serve!

A call to Christlikeness through service.

Mark 10:45 says clearly,

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Those who desire to be like Christ do not examine how many are willing to serve them, but instead how many they can serve.

When I read John 13, I marvel at what a life changing moment it must have been when Christ washed the feet of His disciples. It must have been particularly impacting when He said to them,

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (vss.14-17)

Service is a doorway to sharing the gospel.

Serving others ought to be an every-Christian thing. But here is the excitement behind it: Serving others not only demonstrates our desire to be like Christ, but it also opens opportunities to share the gospel. As I have told many, contacts lead to conversations and conversations lead to conversions. As you explore these possibilities, bathe all these conversations and service opportunities in prayer. You may have the opportunity to explain how much your relationship with Christ has meant to you and how they can have that same relationship.

That is why it is important that you learn how to clearly explain the gospel of grace. Opportunities might come a lot faster than you were expecting especially as you are around hurting people and they see your genuine care for them.

Identifying opportunities to serve others.

When people stop to really think about how they can serve others, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with how many opportunities have been missed in the past. If this is something that happens to you, remember, it is not where you have been but the direction you are going that matters. Our God of grace wants to use missed opportunities to teach you, not to haunt you.

Here are examples of opportunities God gives us:

1. 1. Respond to (or start) a neighborhood restoration project in your community or identify a neighbor who needs some restoration help with their house or yard clean up. That hands-on approach shows others how much you care. As 1 John 3:18 teaches, “let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
   2. Provide assistance for someone with a physical need in your community or neighborhood.
   3. Invite a neighbor over for a meal. This relaxed atmosphere can lend itself to a discussion of spiritual matters.
   4. Serve in a homeless shelter. It is particularly effective if you can serve on a regular basis and develop relationships that allow others to meet and talk with you.
   5. Develop relationships with those you often see such as those at the gym, grocery store, or park.
   6. Take gently used clothing to local donation centers and offer to serve in a certain slot of time to help people in need.
   7. Volunteer to help with a community event. Remember the more familiar you are to someone, the more likely they are to open up to you.
   8. Get to know someone in your neighborhood. Then when they need someone to help them repair something, do some cooking, or pet sitting, you are aware of their needs and can offer assistance. There may even be an opportunity to provide transportation to and from somewhere while their car is in the shop.
   9. Offer to host a women’s coffee or a men’s breakfast meet and greet to get to know others in the neighborhood. This provides the opportunity to build relationships and share the gospel.
   10. Be the organizer of a drive for impoverished families – food, clothing, school supplies, etc.
   11. Get permission to bring treats to teachers in the local school. You might include a Bible verse for encouragement.

Hopefully, you see how many opportunities there are. Brainstorm with family and friends about ideas they have. You will probably be surprised by how many opportunities you have overlooked.

The bottom line, be a friend to those in your area of influence through service. God can use your obedience to Him and love for others to introduce them to the greatest Friend of all – the One who can change their eternal destiny.