We’ve walked this path of discipleship long enough to see how profoundly Jesus reshapes every part of our lives, from how we spend our time to the way we treat the people around us. As we contemplate the example of Christ’s humility and compassion in the light of his command for his followers to spread the good news, one truth keeps rising to the surface: serving others creates authentic opportunities to share the gospel. This connection emerges not from clever techniques or methodical strategies, but from the genuine overflow of Christ’s transforming work in our hearts.
When Love Comes First
Think about the guys we know who are far from God. The coworker grinding through another shift, the neighbor wrestling with addiction, the young dad overwhelmed by bills. We don’t start with them by leading with our mouths. We start with our hands. Jesus washed feet before He preached a sermon that night in the upper room. We keep coming back to John 13:34-35 (NIV): “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
That’s the foundation. The Holy Spirit fills us with Christ’s love until it spills out. We serve because we’re already loved, not to earn points or set up a sales pitch. Maybe you’ve experienced this in your own life: the single mom whose car you fixed without asking for anything back, the veteran you sat with at the VA just to listen, the dinner invitation to someone who is far from their home. These aren’t tactics. They’re responses to what Jesus has already done for us.
The Danger of the Transactional Trap
It’s a temptation to go into the service business with a mercenary mindset. Fix the roof, then hit them with the Romans Road. Hand out the sandwich, but wrap it in a tract. Brothers, that approach hollows everything out. It turns people into projects instead of image-bearers. It is not the way Jesus reached people. We’ve learned the hard way that genuine love can’t be faked. When our acts of service are transactional, people can smell it from a mile away.
Instead, we serve like Jesus served the crowds: feeding them, healing them, teaching them because His compassion moved Him. The gospel flows naturally when our actions match our words and when we love people the way God loves them. We’ve watched hardened men and wary women come to a saving faith in Christ not because we cornered them with clever arguments, but because someone showed up consistently, loved without strings, and earned the right to speak truth into their lives.
Living What We Proclaim
This hits close to home in our marriages and families too. How can we talk about Christ’s love while neglecting the wife He’s given us? How do we share the gospel at work while cutting corners on integrity? The watching world spots the disconnect immediately. But when we serve our families faithfully, show up for the guys in our small group, mentor that younger brother who’s struggling, something powerful happens.
People start asking questions. “Why do you keep showing up?” “How come you don’t quit when it gets hard?” That’s our opening. Not because we manufactured it, but because the Spirit orchestrated it through our obedience. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) promises that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” When that fruit shows up in our serving, the gospel becomes visible.
The Beautiful Collision
As we study the footsteps of Jesus, the truth is plain to see: service and evangelism aren’t two separate endeavors. They’re products of the same transformation in us. We love because He first loved us. We serve because He served us. We speak because His Spirit gives us words. The guy who helps carry groceries for the elderly widow isn’t setting up a pitch; he’s manifesting the kingdom in real time.
We’ve seen construction workers lead coworkers to Christ while building houses together. We’ve watched accountants disciple clients through years of financial counsel given freely. These aren’t exceptional stories; they’re what happens when we let Christ’s love flow through us without holding back.
Let’s stop treating people like evangelism targets and start loving them like Jesus does. The results belong to God anyway, and He will give the increase. We’re just the seed planters.
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Ready to go deeper? Explore the Man in the Mirror website for practical resources to strengthen men’s ministry in your church, connect with other brothers through mentoring relationships, or discover Bible studies and training designed to help you grow as a disciple who makes disciples.
