“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very 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.” (1 Peter 4:10-11)
It’s easy for us to walk around with the wrong idea of what Christianity is all about. We can get sidetracked into thinking Christianity is intended to make us better versions of ourselves – as if Jesus came and lived and died and lived again just to make me a little nicer and better at helping people.
That idea is wrong in two huge ways.
First, Christianity isn’t about us, at all. It’s about God. It’s about Him being praised through Jesus Christ and getting all the “glory and power for ever and ever.”
Second, Christianity isn’t about making us better. We’re not close enough to being good that getting better would help all that much. Nope, God wants us to do his work with his power, with his words, in his strength. God wants to be God through us – not for us to be good enough on our own to accomplish his mission.
Think: What are some ways God has asked you to serve him with his gifts and his power? Would you say you’re using his power to serve other people? What does that look like?
Pray: Ask God to help you to use the gifts he has given you to serve others with his words and his strength.
Do: Talk to a believing friend who knows you well about what your spiritual gifts might be and how you could use them best to serve God by serving others.