Two Motivations to Serve To serve is to perform duties for another’s benefit. In our day and age the word serve is associated with charities, the military and service industries. If we volunteer for a charity we say we are serving those less fortunate than we are. We describe a person in the army as serving his country. People work serving food and when our car breaks down we call a tow truck service. Of course the word serve is also used in tennis and whether it benefits the other person or not depends upon how good you are at ...