Personal Service

I agree with Andy Stanley that personal service is a means that God uses to increase our faith. It is linked intimately with obedience to God -- that obedience is saying, "God, I trust you." How can that help but increase our faith.

I can think of many examples of this in my faith journey, but I'll share one of them.

A couple of years ago JtM and I started co-teaching a book study. Over two years, we went through about five books. I started doing it because I think I've been led by God to teach, and because I thought it would be fun and a joy. All of that proved to be true.

What else I learned, though, is that my own faith grew enormously through the experience. Teaching those books, planning for the lessons, talking about them with JtM and with the class members helped me to clarify for myself what I believe. I can now verbalize what I think grace means, what it means to forgive, what the purpose of prayer is, and how the will of God crosses our lives.

Throughout that experience of personal service, my faith was strengthened and clarified. I'm grateful for it.