Three-Legs of Christian Service
I have a three-legged stool that I use for camping and activities like picnics. It is great because not only is very portable it also supports me in a stable way no matter what the ground conditions are like. It’s simple, stable, and doesn’t wobble around like a 4 legged chair might, especial on soft and uneven ground! But remove a leg, and it collapses. I think it is a bit like Christian service—it only works properly when there are three “legs” present.
The New Testament uses three key Greek words for service: diakonia, doulos, and latreia. Each represents a vital dimension of serving Christ, his mission and his people. Emphasise one and neglect the others, and our service can become unbalanced.
Leg One: Diakonia – Meeting the Need in Front of You
Diakonia is largely about practical service—doing what needs to be done. It’s the word Jesus uses in Mark 10:45: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” It’s also found in Acts 6 when the early church appointed deacons to oversee the very practical work of equitable food distribution.
Diakonia is still spiritual work, but it is hands-on and perhaps unnoticed: preparing when no one sees, doing small things well, stepping in even when it’s not in your job description. Jesus washing His disciples’ feet is the ultimate example—humble, practical, and necessary.
But if diakonia is our only focus, we risk becoming busy but hollow—active yet tired—serving without remembering why. We need more legs!
Leg Two: Doulos – Serving Because You Belong
Doulos means a slave or bondservant. Someone who voluntarily gives up their rights to remain under the direction of their master. Paul repeatedly calls himself “a slave of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1). This word speaks to identity and allegiance. A diakonos serves because something needs doing; doulos is about serving because we belong to Christ and his body.
This matters in a culture which makes appraisals of worth based on performance. Without knowing who we belong to:
- Results begin to define us
- Criticism threatens to crush us
- Success tends to inflate us
- Failure can discourage us
But a doulos says: “I don’t work for approval—I work from a place of belonging.” Jesus didn’t just serve; He submitted: “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38).
Doulos is important but if it stands alone, service can become individualised and detached from community — identity without corporate participation. We need another leg!
Leg Three: Latreia – Service as Worship
Latreia involves worshipful service as a participant in the body of Christ. Paul writes in Romans 12:1 “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice… this is your spiritual act of worship.” Latreia reframes everything: our work, preparation, leadership, and sacrifice can all be worship.
Ultimately, we serve God—not just people, our community or organisations. Colossians 3:23 reminds us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Worship sustains us when effort goes unnoticed or seasons are hard.
But if latreia is the singular focus, service can become disconnected from real people and needs —worship without action. We need all of these legs working together.
Putting It Together
Christian service stands firm only when all three legs are present:
- Diakonia – I meet the need in front of me
- Doulos – I belong fully to Christ; my identity is found in him.
- Latreia – I do all as worship to God
Remove one, and things get wobbly. Jesus held all three aspects of worship perfectly—serving our ultimate need, obeying the Father, and offering His life sacrificially as an act of worship. He invites us to do the same.
As we begin this new year of ministry, let’s make sure our service is balanced, grounded, and worshipful—strong on all three legs.
Stewart Pieper
Director of Church Services