--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m…" description: "\"“When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m getting benefits from it,” that’s not actually serving people; it’s serving yourself through them. That’s no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg" --- # When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m getting benefits… ![“When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m getting benefits from it,” that’s not actually serving people; it’s serving yourself through them. That’s not circling them, orbiting around them; it’s using them, getting them to orbit around you.” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg) > ““When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m getting benefits from it,” that’s not actually serving people; it’s serving yourself through them. That’s not circling them, orbiting around them; it’s using them, getting them to orbit around you.”” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Serving others only for personal gain is selfish, not true service; it exploits people rather than honors them. **In simple terms:** Selfish motives corrupt genuine service. Key Takeaway Serve without expecting personal benefit. Themes service selfishness ethics leadership Mood reflective serious Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - volunteering - leadership - team management - customer service Key Concepts altruism exploitation motivation Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your actions benefit others, not just yourself? - What checks can prevent self‑serving motives? A Different Perspective True service requires humility and selflessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually-serving-2162924/) [People Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-serving-503194/) [Serve Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve-long-417078/) [Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving/) [Serving People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving-people-479606/) ## Related quotes > [Change your focus from making money to serving more people. Serving people makes the money come in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/change-your-focus-from-making-money-to-serving-more-people-serving/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/whenever-you-serve-others-in-any-way-you-are-actually-serving-god/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [There's a real moral imperative in being an organization that takes the time to sit and listen to the customers and the people they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/there-s-a-real-moral-imperative-in-being-an-organization-that-takes/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [“friendly people serving friendly people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flirtease/friendly-people-serving-friendly-people/) [Flirtease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flirtease/) > [Well, in the first place, military service, they don't call it service for nothing. You are actually serving your country. And it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/well-in-the-first-place-military-service-they-don-t-call-it-service/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [The only way you can serve God is by serving other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-only-way-you-can-serve-god-is-by-serving-other-people/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“Serving people is the best way to earn influence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/serving-people-is-the-best-way-to-earn-influence/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [Being on a mission-not thinking about myself and focusing on serving other people-is what brought me closer to God than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-archuleta/being-on-a-mission-not-thinking-about-myself-and-focusing-on-serving/) [David Archuleta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-archuleta/) > [Open the way before the new government to prove that it is for serving the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muqtada-al-sadr/open-the-way-before-the-new-government-to-prove-that-it-is-for/) [Muqtada al Sadr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muqtada-al-sadr/) > [“You can't serve God without serving the people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/you-can-t-serve-god-without-serving-the-people/) [Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/) > [Public service is about serving all the people, including the ones who are not like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-wu/public-service-is-about-serving-all-the-people-including-the-ones-who/) [Constance Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-wu/) > [I am for economy. After that I am for more economy. At this time and under present conditions that is my conception of serving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/i-am-for-economy-after-that-i-am-for-more-economy-at-this-time-and/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Everyone has a responsibility to not only tolerate another person's point of view, but also to accept it eagerly as a challenge to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/everyone-has-a-responsibility-to-not-only-tolerate-another-person-s/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [Retailers should not be filling their minds with all the things that are wrong, with how the economy is going, or with trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/retailers-should-not-be-filling-their-minds-with-all-the-things-that/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Sir, what does it matter whom I serve, so long as I am right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-corneille/sir-what-does-it-matter-whom-i-serve-so-long-as-i-am-right/) [Pierre Corneille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-corneille/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: \[Alexis de\] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Serving quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Do not presume to choose your own way of serving instead of the one I have made for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/do-not-presume-to-choose-your-own-way-of-serving-instead-of-the-one-i/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [A lot of people think I'm snotty. So what? They never asked me out when I was serving cheeseburgers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-moriarty/a-lot-of-people-think-i-m-snotty-so-what-they-never-asked-me-out-when/) [Cathy Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-moriarty/) > [As the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, as somebody who came into office by defeating an incumbent Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-the-longest-serving-independent-in-the-history-of-the-united/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I'd be very happy serving on a local school board. I just know that I have a responsibility to give back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zimmern/i-d-be-very-happy-serving-on-a-local-school-board-i-just-know-that-i/) [Andrew Zimmern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zimmern/) > [Let us pray that the Church be holier and more humble, loving God by serving the poor, the lonely and the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/let-us-pray-that-the-church-be-holier-and-more-humble-loving-god-by/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Challenging schools to treat their students as customers with a choice, instead of inmates serving time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-warlick/challenging-schools-to-treat-their-students-as-customers-with-a/) [David Warlick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-warlick/) > [Since I was 15 years old I have dedicated my life to serving women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/since-i-was-15-years-old-i-have-dedicated-my-life-to-serving-women/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [“The one who truly sacrifices the most is usually the one who talks about it the least”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-stocker/the-one-who-truly-sacrifices-the-most-is-usually-the-one-who-talks/) [Todd Stocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-stocker/) > [Perhaps if only once you did enjoy The thousandth part of all the happiness A heart beloved enjoys, returning love, Repentant, you would surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torquato-tasso/perhaps-if-only-once-you-did-enjoy-the-thousandth-part-of-all-the/) [Torquato Tasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torquato-tasso/) > [Be kindly and just in your dealings with your men. Never play favorites. Make them feel that justice tempered with mercy may always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-lejeune/be-kindly-and-just-in-your-dealings-with-your-men-never-play/) [John A. Lejeune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-lejeune/) > [The steadily inward look leads us all to death, nations as well as persons, and is equally infantile in them all. Perhaps the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margery-wilson/the-steadily-inward-look-leads-us-all-to-death-nations-as-well-as/) [Margery Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margery-wilson/) > [If you're not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-carlzon/if-you-re-not-serving-the-customer-your-job-is-to-be-serving-someone/) [Jan Carlzon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-carlzon/) > [We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a Thousand Points of Light...We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/we-can-find-meaning-and-reward-by-serving-some-higher-purpose-than/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Owing to the fact that leaders in the women's groups made a point of serving on the jury here whenever they were called, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/owing-to-the-fact-that-leaders-in-the-women-s-groups-made-a-point-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,113 Serving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m getting benefits from it,” that’s not actually serving people; it’s serving yourself through them. That’s not circling them, orbiting around them; it’s using them, getting them to orbit around you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Keller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-getting-benefits-from-it-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Serving" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-getting-benefits-from-it-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/586/timothy-keller-240_serving_when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-g_1006949.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you say, “I’ll serve, as long as I’m getting benefits from it,” that’s not actually serving people…” — Timothy Keller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Timothy Keller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When you say, “I’ll serve, as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-getting-benefits-from-it-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-you-say-i-ll-serve-as-long-as-i-m-getting-benefits-from-it-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```