We are supposed to serve the Lord with gladness. But how? The answer is clear: those who serve God have reason to be glad— and not only at some point down the line, but here and now.
“Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100: 2). This was the Bible passage Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider used for the divine service he conducted in Bogotá, Colombia, on February 16, 2025.
Right at the beginning he encouraged the brothers and sisters, “Whatever your situation may be, whatever your difficulties may be, whatever your heart’s disposition may be, we pray for you, for each one of you.” He said that God knows what we need and answers our prayer, “He will answer it.”
People often hope that God will bring about a change in their situation. But the Chief Apostle said that the first thing God wants is to free us from this world—and not to change the world. “And to make it possible for us to enter this kingdom, He needs to change us.” Those who allow themselves to be changed will experience salvation, and deep and lasting joy.
Fotos: Alejandro Martinez
Chosen to serve
The psalm was an invitation to the Israelites, he said. And it is an invitation to all who have been baptised today: God has chosen them to serve Him. “We cannot explain our election and our calling, but we have to answer this call and to be willing to serve the Lord.” Our election is not something we are entitled to. It is grace—and therefore a reason for gratitude.
But what does serving God really mean? “The first way to serve the Lord is to worship Him,” the Chief Apostle said. Not outwardly, but in our hearts, “What is important is that we worship Him in our hearts.” In worship, we can recognise the greatness and love of God, and this in turn fills our hearts with awe and peace.
And our mission in the new creation will be the same. “Every day we will find one reason more to praise His name,” the Chief Apostle said. “Even after 10,000 years we will still find new reasons to say, ‘How great Thou art.’”
Opportunities to serve
Serving means doing the will of God. “He is my Lord, and I do His will.” And it means following Jesus to become like Him.
The Chief Apostle mentioned another central aspect, namely the proclamation of the gospel—not in any spectacular way, but in a very down-to-earth manner: “We must proclaim the gospel in our daily lives, in the way we behave, in the way we treat our neighbour, in the way we make our decisions, in the way we react when something happens in our lives. That is how we can proclaim the gospel.”
Our commitment to the Church is also part of this and is very important: “Bringing our offerings and contributing to the functioning of the Church is also a nice way to serve the Lord.” Offering and sacrifice, helping along, and prayer all help the Church in fulfilling its mission and enabling people to encounter God.
Those who serve should not expect a reward. “Even if I have done everything, I am an insignificant servant.” The Chief Apostle made it clear that we should not serve the Lord to get something. On the contrary, we should serve the Lord because we have already received so much.
Genuine and deep joy
Serving the Lord is both duty and joy. How does this fit together? Chief Apostle Schneider began by first describing his personal motivation. “The more I know about Jesus Christ, the more I experience His love and power. This is sheer enthusiasm.” This enthusiasm is not a passing mood, but a realisation brought about by the Holy Spirit. “The more we are taught by the Holy Spirit and led into the truth, the more we are inspired by God.”
The Chief Apostle mentioned a number of reasons to be glad, and each one is significant in itself.
- We are loved: “The perfect one loves me, the imperfect one.” This sets you free and gives you a sense of security.
- Christ creates freedom: “We are free. We can say no to evil.” Human beings are no longer slaves to evil but can choose that which is good.
- The feeling of being needed: “God wants me, God trusts me.” Every human being is valuable and can contribute to salvation.
- Being able to help: “We are glad that we can help our neighbour.” Every act of charity reflects God’s love.
- Knowing the future: “The great feast will be an everlasting one.” The certainty of eternal fellowship with God already fills us with joy now.