by David Brock

Recently I received an e-mail from one of the ushers at our church relating a story to me about a maintenance team member. Apparently as this usher was walking through one of the buildings, he came upon a restroom in which a child had an accident. Because the bathroom was unusable, the usher found a member of the maintenance team and told him about the problem. As a manager, it was exciting for me to hear that our team member immediately went in his Sunday suit and cleaned the mess with a great attitude. What would motivate someone to do this service that many would avoid? Many people today view service as an obligation, a duty, a means of self-promotion, or as a result of guilt. Managers and their teams must have God’s view of service.

This series of articles develops a philosophy of service. The previous articles established the principle that discontentment destroys service, and that there are different types of service—support and sacred. The third aspect to a philosophy of service is to understand that service is a gift.

Going back to the Levites and their work in the temple, we see that God establishes ministry as a gift. In Numbers 18:6, God describes support service as a gift. The opportunity to support others in the work of ministry is a gift from God. It is not just the leftover work that a less spiritual or less qualified person is assigned, but it is God’s “Christmas present” to us. It is interesting that this verse says that support service is a gift to those doing sacred service. This gift of support service allows those in sacred service to do what God wants. Numbers 18:7 describes sacred service as a gift. The priesthood was given to Aaron and his
sons. It was not an obligation or power position, but a gift that allowed them to serve others. It is easy for people involved in sacred service to think that it is something that they deserve or have earned, but it is simply a gift from God.

Second Timothy 1:6 also describes ministry as a gift. In this passage Paul is challenging Timothy to stir up the gift that was given to him by the laying on of hands. The question is what does the word “gift” refer to in this passage. The context explains it to us. It is not the spiritual gifts referred to in Romans 12 but to Timothy’s ministry as a pastor. Timothy received this gift by the laying on of hands which is his ordination into ministry. This ministry that he was commissioned to do was his gift. God had given him the gift of serving others in the work of ministry.

It is only when we realize that ministry is a gift from God that we will be able to have the right view of service. Not everyone gets the opportunity to pastor a church, clean the ministry facilities, or be a secretary in a Christian ministry. These opportunities are a gift from God. Our ministry teams understanding that discontentment destroys service, that there are different types of service, and that service is a gift, will provide a foundation for service. This understanding should challenge managers and their teams to take advantage of the gift of service.