Why serve God?
We were created to serve Him
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace (who brought again our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant) (21) make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Even Jesus the Son of God realized that His mission on earth was to serve His Father.
(John 17:4) I have glorified You upon the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
Mat 20:28 like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”
This work that is set aside for us to do was even decided before we were born, as in the case of Jeremiah.
Jer 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Since God already knew what He wanted us to do for Him even before we were born, it is only logical that He created us for that purpose. He will not desire for us to do one thing that create us in a way that is incapable of fulfilling it.
We were saved to serve Him
One of the reasons why we were saved is so that we can serve God.
1Co 6:20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
In the olden days, slaves were bought by their masters and therefore had to serve their masters for as long as they live. In the same way, God bought us with a price, the blood of His Son, and therefore now we do not belong to ourselves; we belong to Him and should serve Him for the remainder of our lives.
Rom 12:1 So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.
Rom 7:4 That is how it is with you, my friends. As far as the Law is concerned, you also have died because you are part of the body of Christ; and now you belong to him who was raised from death in order that we might be useful in the service of God.
So that God will honour us
John 12:26 (NIV) Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
God may honour us by giving us an abundant life.
So that we can have eternal rewards
Colossians 3:2324 (NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Matthew 20:2526 (NIV) Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
If we neglect God’s work, we will not enjoy productivity in our life.
(Hag 1:3-10 NIV) Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: {4} “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” {5} Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. {6} You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” {7} This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. {8} Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. {9} “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. {10} Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.
So that we can be good stewards of our gifts
1 Corinthians 12:710 (NIV) Now to each one the manifestation (ie gift) of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
Matthew 25:1429 (NIV) “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ 24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ 26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
The parable of the talents teaches us that God expects us to use whatever talents He has given us and not to put it to idle use.
So that the world may be saved
Rom 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
So that the world may praise God
Mat 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
The service of many Christian organizations like the Salvation army can cause the world to give glory to God.