How to Serve God Successfully

Do you want to know how to serve God successfully? What is the right way to serve Him, and what makes us successful in His eyes?

We find a solid framework for serving God in the instructions David gave his son Solomon as part of preparing him to build the temple in 1 Chronicles 22.

These instructions are relevant today. If we follow them, we will not doubt if we are serving the Lord the right way. 

Let’s explore them together.

What is the right way to serve God, and what makes us successful in His eyes? Here are several important principles from 1 Chronicles 22. #Biblestudy #success #servingGod Share on X

How to Serve God Successfully

As a Christ follower, have you wondered what it takes to serve Him successfully? What does the Lord require from us when we serve Him? What are His success prerequisites and standards?

Surely, these are not worldly standards, where success is mainly measured by numbers, achievements, and results.

In 1 Chronicles 22, God gives us a helpful roadmap through David’s instructions to his son Solomon. We find King David making great preparations for building the temple by collecting the needed resources and workers. All this has been prepared. Now, the most important part remained: instructing his son Solomon, the next king, how to carry out the work successfully.

“Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. (1 Chronicles 22:11-13, NIV)

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What Is the Right Way to Serve God

Here are the 4 pillars of our foundation of success as God’s servants.

#1 Obedience to the Call and God’s Word

The first and most important principle we glean from David’s instruction is that to succeed, we need to be called by the Lord, sent out, and commissioned. It is difficult to succeed in something that is not ours to carry out.

For example, although it was David’s passionate desire to build a temple for the Lord, God didn’t call him to do this. Instead, this task was assigned to Solomon. Nevertheless, God gave David the task of preparation.

Secondly, when the Lord calls us to a certain mission or task, we can be sure that He wants us to succeed. He gives us from the start the biggest guarantee for success: His presence with us, and His promises. (verse 11)

But our part is to walk in step with the Lord and yield to His Spirit daily.  We do this when we know and obey His word, His teachings, and instructions. This is the only way to stay with Him and serve Him in a way that pleases Him.

God gives us from the start the biggest guarantee for success: His presence with us and His promises. #success #trustGod Share on X

#2 Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding

David prays for Solomon, wanting the Lord to give him wisdom and understanding when He puts him in command over Israel. (verse 12). King David knows very well that to serve the Lord in the various roles and assignments He gives us, we need heavenly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

Things are most of the time not what they seem. Some complex situations and projects make the decision process challenging. We can’t rely on our logic or fleshly thinking to navigate the challenges before us. What we need is a teachable and submissive heart.

The Apostle Paul echoes the same prayer for the church in Philippi:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” (Philippians 1:9-10, NIV)

#3 Strength and Courage: Indispensable for Serving God

The third pillar of serving God successfully is being strong and courageous. Why is this necessary? The simple answer is that one of the greatest enemies of our lives as God’s servants is fear.

Fear paralyzes us, clouds our perception, and weakens our faith.  When we give in to fear, we stop walking by faith and we stop altogether. We don’t move forward, and we stop doing our assigned work.

Fear can take different forms, but the most common is the fear of failure, discouragement, and fear of rejection.

That’s why David instructs Solomon to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid and discouraged. (verse 13)

We have God’s assurance that He is always with us, making a way, taking care, and watching over us. His constant presence and loving care are our permanent source of courage and strength.

God’s constant presence and loving care are our permanent source of courage and strength. #encouragement #trustGod #strength Share on X

#4 Taking Action and Doing the Work

The fourth principle is to take action and just do the work. Don’t overthink, don’t over-analyze, don’t get paralyzed by fear, but work in the field God has called you.

This is the heart of David’s instruction: “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would.” (1 Chronicles 22:11)

Build the temple. Write this book. Start this ministry. Raise these children. Care for your parents. Make disciples. Do the work.

The key to doing the work successfully is our constant devotion and commitment to the Lord, as David has also recognized in his exhortation:

“Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.” (1 Chronicles 22:19, NIV)

And the Apostle Paul warns us:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4, NIV)

Serving God in Our Pain and Suffering

Do you know that we can worship and serve the Lord in and through our pain and suffering? Learn how we can do this in my book, “Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings.”

Let me take you on a journey through 13 painful experiences, showing the precious blessings in each of them.

More Encouragement for You

If you need more resources and encouragement to help you serve the Lord successfully in all situations and with all your heart, I can highly recommend these books. Check them out.

Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk

The Night Is Normal by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole

Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life by Denise Dubois Pass and Michelle Nietert

Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa Terkeurst

Hope When Life Unravels: Finding God When It Hurts by Adam Dooley

Restoration Year – a 365-Day Devotional by John Eldredge

The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips

Hope for the Hard Days by Sarah Geringer

Lean into Grace by Stacey Pardoe

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Your Turn

What is your motivation to serve the Lord? Which of these four principles is an area you need to grow? Share in the comments and on social media if you found this article helpful. Thank you!

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