1 Peter 4
Scripture:
10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in it’s various forms.
11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it 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.
Observation:
My wife, Mandy, and I were laughing the other day about how different the two of us are. Early in our marriage we took a personality assessment and had a mentor go through it with us. This may have been one of the most helpful exercises for me in building my relationship with Mandy. What were the results of the assessment? Well, it showed that Mandy and I are complete opposites! Which, in my opinion, helps to make our marriage and our family strong. My strengths offset her weaknesses and in turn, her strengths offset my weaknesses.
This is also true in the church. God has given each of us different strengths, gifts, passions, and abilities. He gave those to us in order to serve others and, by doing so, glorify Him. Each person is gifted differently to make sure all the needs of the church are covered. This is one of the first lessons I learned as a young pastor. Early in ministry, I figured everyone liked doing what I liked doing and therefore, disliked doing what I disliked. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There are actually people that God has gifted and called to do the things that I was not good at and I did not enjoy doing. That was an liberating lesson as I learned to delegate the things I wasn’t good at to those who are. Because of that, the ministry was strengthened and God was glorified. How are you using your gifts and abilities to serve others and glorify God?
Application:
- Personal Application: Talk to a leader in your church and offer to use your abilities to bless the kingdom. If you do not know what your gifts are, ask your pastor to help you discover them.
- Family Application: Take a moment to point out a unique gifting that God has given them. Encourage each person in that gift and discuss ways they can use it to glorify God.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God for opportunities to use the gifts He gave you for His glory.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will recognize the unique gifts God has blessed them with and use them in a way that brings glory to God.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, August 23 to Sunday, August 30:
- Sunday, August 23: 1 Peter 3
- Monday, August 24: 1 Peter 4
- Tuesday, August 25: 1 Peter 5
- Wednesday, August 26: 2 Peter 1
- Thursday, August 27: 2 Peter 2
- Friday, August 28: 2 Peter 3
- Saturday, August 29: 2 Chronicles 1
- Sunday, August 30: 2 Chronicles 2
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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