Service (Part 1): The Purpose We Find in Giving

Service is a way of being. It transforms both the giver and the receiver.

There’s something about service that cuts through noise, distraction, and even discouragement. When we extend ourselves for someone else—sometimes in small, unseen ways—we discover meaning we could not find on our own.

True service is not about recognition or even results. It is about aligning our lives with love in action.

Sacred Texts on Service

• Bible: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

• Qur’an: “And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.” (Surah 2:195)

• Judaism (Pirkei Avot 1:2): “The world stands on three things: on Torah, on service, and on acts of loving-kindness.”

• Buddhism: The Dhammapada teaches, “If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path.”

Modern Prophetic Voices

President Thomas S. Monson once said: “We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children.” (General Conference, Apr 1996).

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminded us: “As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” (General Conference, Oct 2009).

Service, then, is not just something we do—it is a way of being. It transforms both the giver and the receiver.

Personal Reflection

I’ve noticed in my own life that service brings me back to center when I feel unsettled. Even small, quiet acts—checking in on a friend, offering encouragement, sharing time—remind me that my life is not just about me. It’s about the ripples we create when we step outside ourselves and contribute to something greater.

And here’s the paradox: when we serve others, we ourselves are healed, uplifted, and strengthened.

Closing Thought

Service connects us to one another and to God. It reminds us that life is not measured by what we accumulate but by what we give away.

This week, may we look for ways to serve—not for recognition, but for love.

Reflection Question: Where can you quietly serve this week, and how might that act reshape not only someone else’s day, but your own?