The Spirituality of Service

Have you ever heard: “live by the Spirit and teach by the Spirit.” “It’s the Spirit that counts in the Lord’s work”?

What does that mean to you?

The Lord’s work is spiritual work. It relates to changing lives, developing true values, and overcoming worldly influences. If it’s the spirit that “counts”, then how can we become more spiritual?” You need to give more service.

Service changes people. It refines, purifies, gives a finer perspective, and brings out the best in each one of us. It gets us looking outward instead of inward. It prompts us to consider others’ needs ahead of our own. Righteous service is the expression of true charity, such as the Savior showed.

How, then, does service increase our spirituality? I would like to share with you ten aspects, from which you can choose those most applicable to your own situation?

First, service helps us establish true values and priorities by distinguish-ing between the worth of material things that pass, and those things of lasting, even eternal, value. Ezra Taft Benson counsels:

QUOTE 1: “If you would find yourself, learn to deny yourself for the blessing of others. Forget yourself and find someone who needs your service, and you will discover the secret to the happy, fulfilled life.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1979, p. 34.)

Has anyone found that to be true in their own lives?

Second, service helps us establish a righteous tradition. Wise parents will provide service opportunities in the home for their children from an early age. Growing up with this tradition will blossom into community service and Church service. It will develop a spirit of volunteerism in a world where people more often ask, “What’s in it for me?” The Lord has counseled:

SCRIPTURE 1: “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; … “Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.” (D&C 58:26–27.)

Third, service helps us overcome selfishness and sin. Have you ever realized that all sin is selfish, whether it be lying, cheating, stealing, immorality, covetousness, or idleness? Sin is for one’s own ends, not another’s—certainly not for the Lord’s ends. Service, on the other hand, is unselfish and constitutes a positive power for good.
Isaiah had this to say:

SCRIPTURE 2: “We have turned everyone to his own way.” (Isa. 53:6.)

In modern terms, they “did their own thing,” whatever the adverse effect upon others. Even many of those who profess to understand free agency, or moral agency, turn liberty to license, as we can see all around us.

Fourth, not only does service overcome selfishness and sin, but it helps to recompense for sin. The prophet Ezekiel explained this to us:

SCRIPTURE 3: “None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right.” (Ezek. 33:16.)

And, James taught:
SCRIPTURE 4: “save a soul … shall hide a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20.)

We can express regret and feel remorse for things done wrong, but full repentance should include recompense, such as service gives.

What better way to fully have the feeling of true forgiveness from our Heavenly Father than giving service to those who have wronged us or we have wronged.

Fifth, service helps us generate love and appreciation. We come to know people by serving them—their circumstances, their challenges, their hopes and aspirations.

How do we get to know individuals, their circumstances, their challenges, their hopes and aspirations? Do we really care about these people or are we doing it to get it done?

Sixth, service is the principal way of showing gratitude to the Savior. We need to fill ourselves up with gratitude for His redeeming love, His infinite atoning sacrifice, His obedience to the will of the Father. As we become full of gratitude, it overflows into service.

SCRIPTURE 5: “inasmuch as [we] have done it unto one of the least of these [his] brethren, [we] have done it unto [Him].” (Matt. 25:40.)

There is a song that talks about the seventh aspect:
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.1

Service channels our desires and energies into righteous activity. President Eyring talked on this subject last April conference, opportunities to do good. Because of this talk we had two service projects last year in our ward and we have two planned for this year. Every son and daughter of God is a storehouse—even a powerhouse—of desires and energies, which may be used for good or evil. This great potential needs to be harnessed to bring blessings to others.

Eighth, service helps us cleanse ourselves and become purified and sanctified. Not being perfect, are we not all sinners? Yes, we all need the redeeming and atoning blood of Christ to purge us of our sins.

How is this accomplished?

The way is through Christlike service, as expressed by the prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola:

To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds; …
To labor and not ask for any reward
Save that of knowing that we do Thy will.

Ninth, charitable service helps us do as the Savior did, for was not His whole ministry one of reaching out and helping, lifting and blessing, loving and caring? Jesus declares, “I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:27), and again, “For I will raise up unto myself a pure people, that will serve me in righteousness” (D&C 100:16). There are good people everywhere giving charitable service.

Tenth, service helps us to get to know the Savior, for “how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served?” (Mosiah 5:13.) As we immerse ourselves in the service of others, we find our spiritual selves and come unto Him.

In all of these ways, righteous service brings us nearer to Christ, increases our spirituality, and brings others likewise. Such service is helping to prepare a people worthy, in the Lord’s due time, to redeem Zion.

The wonderful thing about service is that there is no end to it. As President Benson says, “Therefore, let us serve one another with brotherly love, never tiring of the demands upon us, being patient and persevering and generous.” (So Shall Ye Reap, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1960, pp. 173–74.)

Yes, as we give Christlike service, it helps us grow spiritually, “[put] off the natural man and [become] a saint” (Mosiah 3:19)—that is, one who is honestly trying to follow the Savior and doing what He would want us to do. What a marvelous feeling it is to have the Spirit of the Lord poured out more abundantly upon us as we bear one another’s burdens and share with and mourn with those in need. (See Mosiah 18:8–10.)

(Taken from Elder Cuthbert's May 1990 Ensign talk)