Serving for Approval… or From Union?
I’m not knocking to get in—I’m standing inside, letting His life flow out through me.
A Conversation About Ministry, Motives, and Letting Christ Serve Through You
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord… knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.” – Colossians 3:23–24
“I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” – Galatians 2:20
A Conversation in the Church Kitchen After Cleanup
Samantha:
I don’t know why I’m so drained lately. I love serving—I really do—but there’s this part of me that wonders if God’s disappointed when I’m not doing more. Like if I say no to something, I’ve let Him down somehow.
Me:
Yeah, I used to live with that same inner pressure. I said yes to everything because I was afraid to disappoint—not just people, but God. I confused activity with faithfulness. But eventually I had to ask myself… what if service isn’t something I do for God, but something He does through me?
Samantha’s View: God Deserves My Best, So I Must Give My All
She pauses and nods slowly. “But doesn’t God want our best? I mean, Jesus gave everything—shouldn’t I do the same? Romans 12:1 says to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. And didn’t Jesus say in Luke 9:62, *‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom’? That sounds pretty all-in to me.”
She adds:
Matthew 25 – “Well done, good and faithful servant…”
Galatians 6:9 – “Don’t grow weary in doing good…”
1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord…”
“I guess I feel like if I’m not giving my everything, I’m not really being faithful.”
My Response: True Faithfulness Flows from Fellowship, Not Frenzy
“I hear you,” I say gently. “And your heart to serve is beautiful. But here’s the shift that set me free: faithfulness isn’t about how much I do—it’s about who is doing it through me.”
I pull up Galatians 2:20: “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
“Romans 12:1 calls us to offer ourselves, yes—but in view of God’s mercy. That means we don’t serve to get approval. We serve because we have it. And that offering isn’t about effort—it’s about availability. A yielded life. A vessel He can fill.”
Samantha squints. “So how do I know when I’m serving with Him versus just serving for Him?”
“That’s the sweet spot,” I smile. “The difference is pressure. Serving for Him leaves you exhausted. Serving from Him leaves you dependent and at peace. Jesus said, ‘My yoke is easy, My burden is light.’ If it’s not light… maybe we’re carrying something He never asked us to.”
Approval-Based Service vs. Union-Based Life
Samantha exhales. “I guess I’ve been living like an employee—trying to please the boss.”
I nod. “Exactly. But you’re not His employee. You’re His child. His vessel. His co-laborer. And the One who calls you to serve also lives in you to do the serving through you.”
Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” That means the desire and the power to serve both come from Him.
You don’t need to be more available to the needs around you. You just need to stay available to the Life within you.
A Grace-Oriented Appeal
If you’ve been serving to gain approval, to feel worthy, or to prove your love—pause.
God isn’t measuring your hours. He’s looking for your heart—and more specifically, your availability to let His Son live through you.
You are not the engine of ministry—Christ in you is.
You are not a performer under pressure—you’re a vessel of divine presence.
So today, don’t serve for God. Walk with Him. Depend on Him. And let the work He prepared for you unfold as He leads, not as you strive.
Because faithful service isn’t about trying harder.
It’s about trusting deeper.
Photo Credit: Image sourced from Unsplash.com