In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40 NIV). When you do something that makes someone else’s life better in some way, you’re serving God.

Some people serve out of guilt, duty, or pressure. But God wants you to serve out of gratitude for what he’s done for you. He made you, he saved you, and he’s taking you to heaven. Gratitude is the best motivator to serve.

Here are five things the Bible says about serving God:

Serving is one of your life purposes. Mark 8:35 says, “Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (TLB). Until you learn how to serve, you’re not really living—you’re just existing. You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give away.

Serving makes you more like Jesus. Matthew 20:28 says, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NLT). If you don’t learn how to serve others, you will never grow to spiritual maturity. In fact, you’ll be a spiritual baby your entire life.

Serving is the highest use of your time. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord” (NIV). If you want to make an impact and leave a legacy, the highest use of your time is to serve God by serving others. Your service to the Lord is never wasted.

Serving is the secret to greatness. Matthew 20:26 says, “If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others” (CEV). True greatness comes from servanthood, not from living for yourself. The greatest leaders are those who serve the most.

Serving will be rewarded in heaven. Jesus said in Mark 10:29-30, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up [anything] because of me and the Good News will certainly receive a hundred times as much” (GW). Ultimately, your real boss is Jesus. And he will reward you one day for everything you’ve done for him. That’s a guarantee!

How passionate are you about serving God? Could your enthusiasm use a boost? God wants you to think differently about serving and to “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11 NIV).