This lecture by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the conditions of a successful service that leads a person to God. His Holiness emphasizes that if service is conducted without a spirit of love, patience and wisdom it turns into exhaustion, routine or politics that harm the servant instead of benefiting him. The true servant serves with love, humility, and with the intention to offer his work to God not for human praise, and avoids entering into conflicts and politics inside the church.

Elements of correct service

• Love: Service must be offered with sincere love and patience for people’s faults and their conditions, for love bears all things.

• Avoid routine and politics: Do not make your service mere procedural routine or a place to inspect others and control them.

• Positive work: Focus on useful, productive works (teaching, care, authorship, reform) instead of preoccupation with people’s faults and spreading criticism.

• Patience and long-suffering: Service teaches patience and develops endurance; many fruits come after a long time.

• Wisdom: Every service needs wisdom to handle people’s issues (family, addiction, illness, conflicts).

• Partnership with God: Before and during service one must pray and ask for God’s cooperation; service in which a person works with God achieves spiritual fruit.

• Humility and avoiding pride: The successful servant places himself as a servant to all, not seeking authority or domination within the service.

• Do not seek reward: Do not expect praise or an earthly return; the true reward is from the Lord, and the real kind word comes from God.

Examples and applications

His Holiness gave examples from the Bible and church history: Paul who faced mockery and afflictions yet gained the virtue of patience and fruitful service, and David who turned afflictions into psalms. Also practical examples about servants of the poor, children, the mentally challenged and the need for patience and wisdom in each case.

Brief conclusion

The service that brings you to the Lord is a service based on love, patience, wisdom, humility, and partnership with God. Whoever serves in this spirit will endure and receive his reward in heaven, and if obstacles are encountered let him remember that the Lord sees and will act at the proper time.

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