Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:10-11
If you are a follower of Christ, you have been called to be a minister for Christ, to serve others with the gifts and talents you’ve been given. What’s more, you will maximize your fulfillment in life, your enjoyment of life, and your impact in life when you find the sweet spot of serving other people.
A disciple named Peter wrote a book called I Peter in which there are several reasons why we should not look at serving as something we have to do, but as something we should want to do. We’re going to look at those two reasons for the next couple of days. We’ll start with the first reason today and then we’ll look at two more reasons tomorrow. Let’s dive in.
The first reason serving is something we should want to do is that we are gifted for service. Serving is not just what you do; a servant is what you are. Serving is not just an action; it is an attitude. We all ought to have a servant’s heart and when we do, we will have serving hands. We all have various abilities, passions, gifts, and interests that God has given us, and we are to leverage those for the service of other people.
God never asks us to do anything without giving us both the power to do it and the equipment to do it. We hear that we have all received at least one gift, and just as a gift is to be unwrapped and used, so is your spiritual gift. God made you the way you are and gave you the gifts He did so you can accomplish what He wants you to do for His kingdom by serving others. So let’s each choose to use those gifts starting today in order to honor God and love on others.
Dear Lord, thank you for the gifts and talents you have blessed me with. Please grant me opportunities to use these gifts for your glory so that I might serve others well and point them to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Topics: Serve
