In Acts 3, Peter and John come across a lame man whom they serve by healing in Jesus’ name.  The result is praise to God and an opportunity to share the gospel.  Their example suggests several principles for us as we seek to serve others:

• We should serve others using the opportunities God gives us.  Peter and John were on their way to a prayer meeting.  They could have been too pre-occupied to notice the lame man.  They could have been tired and not felt like helping.  But they stopped.  They used the opportunity God gave them.  Are we watchful for opportunities to serve?  Or are we too pre-occupied with our own agendas?  Are we too tied to our feelings?
• We should serve others using what God has given to us.  Peter and John tell the man they have no money to give him.  But God has given them the power to heal the man, and so they do.  They used what God gave them.  We may not have money to help someone.  We probably can’t heal anyone.  But we shouldn’t worry about what we can’t do.  Rather we should focus on what we can do, serving in the ways God enables us.
• We should serve others as representatives of Jesus.  Peter heals the man in Jesus’ name – according to his power and authority.  Peter is just a representative of Jesus.  As the crowds gather, Peter asks the crowds why they stare at him as if he had made the man well.  Instead, he points the crowds to Jesus.  Here is an important point.  In serving others we point to Jesus not ourselves.  This means our actions require explanation.  Without explanation, the crowds would have been impressed with Peter, so Peter points them to Jesus.  In serving others, it is possible for people to become impressed with us, and so we need to point them to Jesus.  Our service is not about us, but about Jesus working through us, so we must point to Jesus.  Lifestyle evangelism requires words to explain our good deeds, or we witness simply to our own goodness.
• We should serve others so that God may be praised.  The lame man who is healed begins leaping and praising God.  The crowds too begin to praise God (4:21).  Certainly one goal in our serving others is to help them – because we love them.  But our ultimate goal should be that God would be praised – because we love him.  People are to see our good works and glorify God.  But if we don’t point them to Jesus, who gets the glory?  Often we do.  People praise us.  They are impressed with us.  And we rob God of his glory.  This is a serious matter.  We need to be careful when we serve that we point people to Jesus so they praise God and not us.
• We should serve others with the hope of sharing the good news of Jesus.  Peter’s service led to an opportunity to share the gospel.  That should be our hope – that our service would open doors to share the gospel.  Their greatest need is Jesus, so our greatest service is to tell them about Jesus.  May our service bring many such opportunities.