Hello, and GOD Bless you, everyone....
I hope you don't mind if I offer thoughts here?
I look at "serving others in need" as loving GOD, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and 'Our' righteousness..." Rather, the Bible says ... seek "His" Righteousness. We are to seek Jesus' Righteousness.
2nd Corinthians 5:21 states,
"For He (GOD the Father) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of GOD in Him." This speaks of Christ's Imputed Righteousness (our sins are placed upon Christ's record, and His Righteousness is placed upon our record). We are Justified in the eyes of GOD, just-as-if- you never sinned.
The blood of Jesus takes our sins away forever (1st Peter 1:18,19).
This Is True Righteousness, and it is found ONLY In Christ Jesus. We are commanded to seek HIS righteousness if we want to obtain the Kingdom of GOD.
"But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of GOD is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption" (1st Corinthians 1:30)

It's true, however, when we are 'serving those in need' that we ask GOD to search our hearts, so to know whether we are serving others in love - or in "Self-righteousness."

As you pointed out here, Land-of-Fire, the right attitude we should have in serving others in love - you said - "When we do this much of everything else is irrelevant. As an example, no longer is the fact that this one woman wears a mini skirt to church as important, when all we have in mind is that one homeless person we met that will be under the elements as he sleeps outside in the snow tonight... I hope this is a good illustration."

Land-of-Fire, I believe It is an Excellent illustration! A True Heart of a Servant of Christ Jesus!

Because, there can be a wrong heart when serving others:

3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13: 3-7)

(But if I don't have love, none of these things will help me!)

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love isn't jealous.
It doesn't sing its own praises.
It isn't arrogant.
It isn't rude.
It doesn't think about itself.
It isn't irritable.
It doesn't keep track of wrongs.
It isn't happy when injustice is done,
but it is happy with the truth.
Love never stops being patient,
never stops believing,
never stops hoping,
never gives up.

Praise GOD!

Stay in GOD's peace, and His Love!
love Zephania