In a world increasingly driven by success, wealth, and fame, few people pause to ask a fundamental question: What are we truly serving? A question that may seem simple, but lies at the heart of a profound statement made by television host, comedian, and modern-day philosopher Stephen Colbert:

“In my experience, you will truly serve only what you love, because service is love made visible. If you love your friends, you will serve your friends. If you love community, you will serve your community. If you love money, you will serve your money. And if you love only yourself, you will serve only yourself — and you will have only yourself. So, no winning. Instead, try to love others and serve others, and hopefully find those who will love and serve you in return.”

These words are not just a personal life philosophy, but a poignant wake-up call in an era where “service” is often misunderstood as something lowly, and “self-love” is sometimes pushed to the extreme of self-centeredness.

Service as the Manifestation of Love

Stephen Colbert shines a light on a timeless but often forgotten truth: You will devote your time, effort, and even your very self to what you truly love. Love is not merely an emotion — it is an action.

You might say you love your family, but if you never spend time with them, never listen, help, or care for them, what does that love truly mean?

You might say you love justice, but if you don’t stand up for the vulnerable or speak out against wrongs, is that love real?

Colbert isn’t referring to “service” in the traditional sense — as in serving someone under obligation. He’s speaking about voluntary devotion, a kind of action that flows from within — where love becomes tangible through meaningful acts that impact the lives of others.

What Are You Serving?

Whether we’re conscious of it or not, all of us are serving something.

The employee who stays up late, exhausted at their desk, may be serving ambition — or money.
The mother who gives up her career to raise her children is serving her family.
The young person who volunteers their weekends to teach underprivileged kids is serving their community.

The question isn’t, “Are you serving?” The real question is:
“What are you serving — and do you truly love it?”

If you serve something you don’t love, that service becomes a burden.
If you serve only yourself, as Colbert warns, you may end up only with yourself — alone.

Don’t Try to “Win.” Try to Love and Serve

Perhaps the most powerful part of Colbert’s statement is this:
“Don’t try to win.”

At first, this might sound counterintuitive in today’s culture of relentless achievement. But think deeper: how many “winners” — those with stunning careers, immense wealth, and widespread fame — are also lonely, empty, or unloved?

Meanwhile, there are those who live quietly, never considered “successful” by conventional standards — and yet they are content, even joyful. Why? Because they love, they serve — and they are loved and served in return.

That, Colbert implies, is the real reward: not victory, but connection. Not trophies, but meaning. Not domination, but humanity.

Conclusion: Love Is the Only Thing Worth Serving

With his signature blend of wit and wisdom, Stephen Colbert reminds us of a core human truth: we are here to love and serve one another.

In a world filled with noise, competition, and inflated egos, his message is a gentle but unwavering beam of clarity.

So pause and ask yourself:
What are you serving?
Is it worthy of your time, energy, and love?
And most importantly:
Do you have the courage to change — to love more, serve more, and in doing so, allow others to love and serve you back?

Because in the end, service is not a loss.
It is the only way love becomes real —
not just a feeling in the heart, but a living presence in everything we do.