A Renewed Purpose: Serving with a Whole Heart

There’s a fresh sense of spring in our church—new life, new energy, and a renewed vision of who we are and why we do what we do. For months, we’ve talked about “worshiping God with our whole heart,” beginning first with the importance of rest. We wanted to take Sabbath seriously, allowing our souls to breathe before rushing back into old patterns. From there, our focus moved into “renewal,” looking at how God transforms us from the inside out by His presence, love, and holiness.

Now, as we continue this season of renewal, we’re stepping into a corporate perspective: renewed purpose. Specifically, why do we gather together—and why do we serve? How can we make sure our serving does not slide back into the same cycles of burnout and exhaustion?

Remembering Our “Why”

Often, when we hit burnout in church life, it’s not because we don’t know how to serve—we might actually be pretty good at organizing teams, scheduling volunteers, or running events. Rather, it’s because we forget why we serve in the first place. When serving becomes all about our own performance, preferences, or pride, fatigue, cynicism, and discouragement soon follow.

Our why is simple but life-giving: we serve so that others may experience Jesus’ healing, love, and presence. Everything we do, inside and outside of the church, stems from this desire to “carry” people closer to Him.

The Story of the Friends Who Carried

A striking picture of this appears in Luke 5:17–26, where Jesus heals a man who is paralyzed. While the religious leaders crowded around to argue theology, a group of friends arrived with a man on a stretcher, determined to lay him before Jesus. When they couldn’t squeeze through the crowd, they climbed onto the roof, removed the tiles, and lowered him right into the middle of the room. Jesus, seeing their faith, first forgave the man’s sins and then healed him physically.

Yes, the center of that scene is Jesus—His authority, His power to heal and forgive. But if you look off to the side, you’ll see the friends, quietly demonstrating the very heart of why we serve: their love and loyalty propelled them to do whatever it took so their friend could encounter Jesus.

1. How Are We Carrying Others?
Like those friends, we’re called to bring people into God’s presence—through prayer, care, hospitality, and compassion. Sometimes that looks like simple, intentional acts of kindness in our neighborhoods or workplaces. Sometimes it’s within our own families or church gatherings.

• A Real-Life Picture: A few years ago, a small group leader carried a middle-school student—literally—up a mountain during a summer trip because the student didn’t have the physical ability to climb on his own. It was a tangible display of what it means to “carry” someone who cannot get there by themselves.
• Prayer in Action: Recently, our church prayed for a family facing visa and immigration roadblocks. Through prayer and some extraordinary connections, doors opened for them to have an interview—and there’s now real hope for a resolution. When we pray, when we show up in each other’s lives, we’re carrying one another to Jesus.
  
  

As you reflect on your own life, ask: Who might God be nudging me to carry? This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to literally lift someone onto your back. It might mean slowing down to notice a neighbor who’s lonely, offering a meal to a coworker in crisis, or consistently praying for a friend who feels stuck.

2. Where Is Our Proximity?
Part of carrying others is simply being near enough to notice their needs. In Luke 5, those friends knew the paralyzed man—he wasn’t just a stranger. Their empathy grew out of real, relational proximity.

• Proximity in Our Community: Our church building sits in a diverse area. Some families nearby struggle with practical needs like food or stable housing. Others have material security but wrestle with burnout, stress, or emptiness. Simply put, you don’t have to look far to find someone who needs help, hope, or a listening ear.
• An Intentional Choice: Whether it’s in the lobby on Sunday or on your own street, proximity requires a little extra effort to learn names, hear stories, and notice struggles. It might mean lingering for an extra minute in a conversation or reaching out when you sense someone is in pain.
  
  

Reflect on your daily life: Who do you pass by that you could truly see and get to know? Sometimes God’s invitation is as simple as pausing your busy schedule long enough to recognize, “That person might need a friend. Maybe I can be the one to help carry them.”

3. Where Do You Need to Be Carried?
Finally, the hardest question: where do each of us need to be carried? We often embrace the role of caregiver but resist letting anyone care for us. It feels too vulnerable to say, “I’m not okay.” Yet Scripture shows us there’s no shame in being the person on the mat. We all have areas of brokenness that require others to lift us up—spiritually, emotionally, or physically.

The Pitfalls of Never Admitting Need

• Identity in Performance
  If we only serve and never allow ourselves to be served, we risk building our identity on what we do instead of who we are in Christ. We’ll keep trying to “earn” our worth by pouring ourselves out and never being refilled.
• Two-Tier Culture
  We also send an accidental message that there are two classes in the church: those who have it all together (the ones serving) and those who are always in need (the ones being served). In truth, we are all both. Each of us carries and each of us is carried at some point.
  
  

Sometimes, the best way to renew your heart in service is to step back from certain responsibilities for a season and let the community care for you. Share your burdens, invite others to pray for you, and trust that you are no less loved because you need a hand.

Embracing Vulnerability
It’s a gift for others to see that you, too, have needs. We’ve tried in our church to create regular rhythms—like prayer teams available every Sunday—yet it can be easier to volunteer for the team than to step forward for prayer yourself. Showing need can be scary: “What will they think of me?” But the truth is, people will likely rejoice that you felt safe enough to come for help.

In the end, the church is meant to be a place where we are safe to lay down our pride. We can be real about our own limitations and receive genuine support. This vulnerability doesn’t weaken our community—it strengthens it, reminding us that our acceptance comes from Christ’s love, not from a flawless performance.

Rooted in Christ
Our ultimate renewal and healing always come from Jesus. We see that in Luke 5: once the friends lowered the paralyzed man into Jesus’ presence, everything changed. The same holds true for us.

It’s why many churches center worship around the reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice—through practices like Communion—so that we never forget: “This is my body given for you. This is my blood poured out for you.” It’s a call to rest in His grace. We don’t have to earn His love by serving perfectly; our identity is grounded in what He’s already done.

A Final Invitation

1. Carry Someone Else
   Ask God to show you who needs a gentle hand, a listening ear, or a shoulder to lean on.
2. Step Closer
   Look around for someone you may have overlooked, whether at church, in your neighborhood, or at work. Moving closer to people’s real stories often reveals exactly how we can serve.
3. Admit Your Need
   Don’t be afraid to say, “I need help.” Whether you seek prayer, counseling, or just a friend to sit with, allow others the joy of walking alongside you.
   
   

As we continue in this season of renewal, remember that we’re all in this together—sometimes carrying, sometimes being carried—until we all experience the transforming love of Jesus. May our service flow not from a sense of mere duty or performance, but from hearts rooted in compassion, vulnerability, and grace.