Many believers step forward to serve God, assuming that He needs their help. But in truth, God doesn’t depend on us to fulfill His purposes—He simply chooses to involve us out of love. He desires a relationship and partnership, working not only through us but also within us. During missionary calls, it’s common for people to feel stirred and respond with enthusiasm. However, this response is often driven by emotion rather than true surrender. Without first committing their own lives fully to God, they are then trained to lead others to do what they have not yet done.
When Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, He is asking for our commitment—not just our sacrifices. Yet many people prefer to make sacrifices rather than truly surrender to God. Sacrifices often come with pain, and when people serve God through pain alone, they begin to portray serving Him as a burdensome task. They teach others that this painful service will one day be rewarded—though when, and how, remains vague and uncertain.
We must reflect on the hidden expectations in that belief: first, the reward is “unknown,” and second, it comes at an “appropriate time.” These ideas can become riddles no one truly understands. As a result, people continue to serve God out of pain and duty, convincing themselves they are doing something worthwhile for Him—while missing the heart of true surrender.
People’s Hesitation To Serve God
People often observe those who serve as God’s messengers, noticing that some have not fully committed their own lives to God, even as they urge others to do so. It’s possible that such leaders themselves have yet to grasp the true weight and meaning of surrendering to God. Yet, the incredible truth remains: God can use anyone to reveal His will—even those who are not fully devoted. He once spoke through a donkey; He can certainly speak through imperfect people.
The real tragedy is that instead of receiving the message, many focus on the shortcomings of the messenger and dismiss the message entirely. When God invites them to be vessels of His love, they shrink back, thinking, “I’m not as talented, eloquent, or influential as those preachers or leaders.” To avoid stepping into God’s calling, they convince themselves that the work is already being done by others—pastors and leaders they once dismissed, but now accept as God’s servants, only to excuse their own inaction. Believing their role is limited to simply listening, they miss the opportunity to actively partner with God. But in doing so, they ignore a powerful truth Jesus shared:
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” — Matthew 9:37–38 (NIV)
The Lord of the harvest is calling each of us to join Him, not just a select few. Yet many of His labourers try to work alone, unwilling to share the reward, even with God. They place greater value on the reward than on being with Him. We often find endless excuses to avoid partnering with God in His work. But no excuse can change the truth: God is still calling us.
Some believe they must become more holy before they can serve God, acknowledging their sinfulness only when the call to serve is personal. At other times, they see themselves as righteous, either through their own good works or by the grace of God. Others say, “We’re too old and worn out. We’ve lived our lives and are waiting for the final call—what does it matter now to serve God?”
To all of these doubts and hesitations, the answer remains the same:
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? – Matthew 16:26 (NIV)
The Reality
No one in this world can save your soul—only God can. Neither our wealth, nor our pastors, nor even our prayers or good deeds can redeem us. Salvation comes solely from God, who gave His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our souls. The Psalmist understood this deeply when he wrote:
“No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—
so that they should live on forever and not see decay.”
— Psalm 49:7–9 (NIV)
Despite this truth, many people deceive themselves by believing that their pain, suffering, or religious service can earn salvation for themselves or for others. They claim to be interceding constantly, praying day and night for the souls of their congregation and communities. While their intentions may seem noble, it’s a heavy burden for anyone to entrust their spiritual lives to such individuals.
This dynamic often arises because ordinary people feel they don’t have the time or ability to devote themselves to God. As a result, they rely heavily on religious leaders to carry that responsibility for them, continuing to live distant from God.
Sadly, many of these leaders instil fear by preaching that following Christ is nothing but suffering and hardship—yet in the same breath, they tell people that they will help them to mitigate their sufferings and pain. It becomes a contradiction: they present serving God as a life filled with pain and hardship, yet still invite others to follow, as if they’re welcoming them into a life of guaranteed misery. But this is not the message Christ gave us.
Ironically, these same leaders urge people to come to them for prayer and counsel to escape suffering. But if they truly believe suffering is an inseparable part of following Jesus, on what basis are they inviting people to come for their counsel? The truth is, deep down, they know that if people go directly to God, He will teach them how to exchange their sorrow for joy. But because they never learned that lesson, they hinder others from discovering it too. Jesus asks us not to fall prey to them.
Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” – Matthew 15:14 (NIV)
Guarding Our Salvation
Believers are often conditioned to keep praying for wealth and worldly comforts, missing the deeper truth. Those who claim to be servants of God often mislead believers into forgetting their salvation, convincing them they are still sinners in need of God’s pardon. Trusting these voices, many innocent believers continue to plead for forgiveness, unaware of the truth—that God has already forgiven the sins of all mankind when His obedient Son, hanging on the cross, asked the Father to forgive them. Not only did God forgive our sins, but God also gave us His Spirit to safeguard our salvation until the day we exchange it for eternal life.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
Because of this, we don’t need to depend on others to reach eternity. Instead, we are called to preserve our salvation and guard our souls. We may not be eloquent preachers or famous ministers, but that doesn’t limit our service to God. Even if we think we’re too old or unable to do much, the most important ministry is caring for our own soul, holding fast to salvation until we step into eternity.
There was once a preacher in a country that had rejected the Word of God. Banned from holding public meetings, he still went to the same spot every day and preached, though no crowd was allowed to gather. Concerned officials questioned him: “If no one is allowed to listen, why do you keep preaching?” He replied, “I’m preaching to my own soul.” David did the same many times, speaking to his soul and encouraging it to hope in God.
If you have a question in your mind, what shall I do for your Lord? To serve God, you might have many options crossing your mind, such as leaving your job and serving Him full-time or continuing your job while doing part-time service to God. Maybe you want to serve as a guest speaker or as a teacher/mentor. But when we struggle to master any of the above choices, it is better to first minister to our souls.
There is a common misconception among believers regarding Jesus’ request for His disciples to watch and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. Many assume that Jesus needed their prayers to help Him submit to the Father’s will in the face of suffering. However, what Jesus was truly urging was for them to remain vigilant against temptation, recognising that while the Spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. He calls us to pray in step with the Holy Spirit so that we may willingly fulfil the Father’s will, even if it means setting aside other ministries. When Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, He was also speaking of our own souls. Yet, only a few are labouring to guard and nurture their own souls, diligently resisting temptation.
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
The Jordan Valley 
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