Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Summary: Peter tells us to use the gifts God has given us to serve others, in particular our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In Matthew 25: 14-30, Jesus tells a fascinating parable about a man who leaves on a journey and entrusts his treasure to three servants. Each servant is entrusted with a different amount of treasure. When the master returns, he calls each servant to account for the treasure they were entrusted with.
God has given each of us both spiritual gifts and physical, material treasure. What we do with our gifts and treasure is important. Our choice is to serve ourselves or to serve others in the name of God.
Peter notes that we are “stewards of God’s grace.” What we have is not ours to keep. What we have is given us to use for the kingdom of God. This does not mean we starve ourselves. Jesus himself tells us that the “worker deserves his wages.” (Luke 10:7) Yet, when we have been given more than we need, we are help others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The variety of gifts that God gives each of us is amazing. I marvel when I see people serving those whom I am not able to serve myself. The danger is taking our own gifts for granted. Please don’t make the mistake that the servant in Jesus parable did. Don’t hide your treasure until you are called home. The gifts you have are only on loan. Invest heavily in the kingdom of God. Then, when you meet Jesus face to face, you will have something to show him.
Application: Look for ways to serve others. Serve as God has gifted you.
Food for Thought: How do you know when you have served enough? Should we give even when it hurts? (See 1 Peter 4:1)
Makes me wonder if you replace serving with loving does the answer change?
As a recovering people pleaser with no former boundaries, I can honestly say it is possible to give until it hurts and it is possible to over serve to the point of exhaustion and misery. I didn’t know how to say, “no.” It took me a long time to understand that He does not call us to do ALL things. He simply calls us to use the gifts He has blessed us with and to use those gifts well.
Been there Darla, Christ does indeed give us rest.
Darla,
I am a recovering “people pleaser,” too. Thank you for sharing your insight today.
Someone once told me that the right thing to do in any given moment is what God wants me to do. If I am service, eating, playing, praying, fishing, studying Scripture, etc… If I am being obedient to His will in that moment that is what I am supposed to be doing. 1 Corinthians 10: 31.
Having said that, being a pastor in a church context, one of the great problems in the church is not that too many people are serving or loving people too much. That is not something I think we need to be too concerned about.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Well said, Tim!
How do you know when you have served enough? Should we give even when it hurts?
Christ called me to Bible Study Fellowship where I would discuss and listen to lectures on the Bible each Monday night with approximately 300 men. We would start at 6:55PM and end sharply at 9:00PM. Jim, the man used by the Lord to bring me to BSF , and I would go to either his home or mine, and continue discussing our lesson until midnight or sometimes 2:00AM. We both lived in Milwaukie which made it pretty convenient. We both worked full time but I was never tired Tuesday mornings.
I clearly remember asking many times “ what are we supposed to do with all we are learning? What is God calling us to do?” Jim would always tell me, Just keep studying Ron, God will take care of what we are to do when He knows the time is right.
In Acts 26:16 our Lord had Paul write about serving.
Paul tells us about a story he shared with King Agrippa. He writes, Jesus told me this: Acts 26:16, “I have appeared to you…. to appoint you… as a servant and as a witness…. of what you have seen of me… and what I will show you”.
1) Grow in our love for Him, labor will follow, as He works through us.
2) Look where He is calling us to serve and go where He leads. Do as He directs.
3) Ministry is a way of life, not limited to Sundays or 8 hours a day.
4) Our Lord will call us home the moment we have finished.
Christ does not want us to do His work, He wants us to allow Him to do His work through us.
Ron,
You make an incredibly important point. We are allowed to help. It is a great honor to be allowed to help our Lord. I may not do it well, but it is something that is only possible here on earth. What a rare and beautiful opportunity.
Thank you Ron.
Today on an estimate I was allowed to place a New Testament into the hands of the man that called me,..had no idea that would happen but by staying available and willing to allow the Holy Spirit to move,..God allowed me to speak some words of Jesus into this mans drunken heart,..I know he was drunk because he told me that he tied one on last night and it was quite obvious,..God allowed me to speak my testimony about being an alcoholic and almost losing my family because of it,..that’s when he opened up and God allowed me to share the gospel and glorify Jesus,..he was a bit apprehensive but the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let that stop me from sharing the work and words of Jesus that have been imputed into me. I remember him saying that the bible has changed because of all the different translations and what I said was that the word of God will never and has never changed just because of all the different translations His word remains the same today as it was yesterday and it will still be the same tomorrow,..God will not lie to us nor go back on His promises it is us that has done that to Him,..he was agreeing with everything that was flowing from this mouth God has given me to use for Him,..needless to say he has already hired me for the fence repair without giving him the price,..
I believe that is being a servant of God,..and giving until it hurts,..it hurt me to see him the way he was,..brought back some memories that had to have the light of Jesus shown on them for the good of another,..
What a fitting three minutes for today,..praise God!
Praise God John. What a blessing, to be used by God.
John,
Well done! Thank you for sharing your adventure in the Lord with us today! 🙂