As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
-1 Peter 4:10-11
Biblical service is more than a list of tasks to complete or general instruction to be kind to others; it is a call with intentional purpose in the grand story of redemption. We love and serve others out of the transformation God has brought about in our lives. Each gift listed in this passage shares the same source and purpose. Each gift is given from God to point to God. This is the key for how we are to serve.
When you serve this way, you join in God bringing people back to Himself, showing them their design to reflect Him, and glorifying Him as Creator. However you serve in Jesus’s name, whether it is recognized or ignored, a brief moment or a long-term commitment, has purpose and significance in the kingdom of God. First Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Serving is not always easy, but when we serve in the strength of the Lord and to give Him glory, we can rest assured that even the hardest moments are worth it in the end.
- What are some small ways you have used your gifts to serve? What are some big ways you have used your gifts to serve? How can you recognize that each of those moments gave glory to God?
- What is the difference between serving in your own strength and serving in God’s strength? When do you feel tempted to serve out of your own strength?
- Pray and ask God to show you how to serve in His strength. Thank Him for the opportunity to point to Him, even in the smallest of tasks.
