I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
I am not writing to debate about the reality of the spiritual gifts. They are in the Bible, so I do believe that they exist. Not only that, the Holy Spirit distributes them and decides which gift (s) each person receives. We cannot go to God and demand one gift instead of another; God always has a reason for what He does.
My focus today is not on the gifts themselves but on what we are supposed to do with them. There is a story in Acts 8 about a man named Simon who wanted the same power that the apostles had, to lay hands on people so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. Simon tried to pay for the power of God. His gifts cannot be purchased but are given freely so that we can use them correctly to further His kingdom. What is the instruction given to us about how to use the gifts?
We are told to use the gifts God has given us in order to serve one another. We are not to bring attention to ourselves and expect praise. We are not to use God’s gifts to enrich ourselves or those around us. We are just to serve. No matter the gift, it is to be used to serve others. Isn’t that why Jesus came? He came to serve and showed us the supreme example of sacrifice and service. It only makes sense that if God is giving us gifts to use in the Body of Christ, the purpose of those gifts would be to serve others.
Have a blessed day, my friends. May you use whatever spiritual gifts God has given you to do the work God has planned for you to do in His Body.
In today’s busy world, with both parents having jobs, kids having numerous activities and all kinds of other things going on, it’s easy to lose sight of what is most important. Following Jesus’s example is the most important thing that we can do and He left instructions on how to do that.
We are to take care of the needs of others, as much as it is possible to do. Look around you. There are needy people everywhere. A lonely neighbor, a widow or a child who seems to be friendless. Reach out helping hands and be the one who makes a difference in their lives. You may say that you are not comfortable entering someone else’s world and interfering. Then, do what you are comfortable with. Smile at people you meet. Say kind words to servers and to helpers in your world. Be the person that God means for you to be. You may have to step out of your comfort zone and do something that challenges you. Golgotha was definitely a challenge for Jesus, but He did not back away from the cross, but He faced it boldly and with the conviction that He was doing what the Father had established for Him to do since the beginning of the world. We cannot sit around complaining about the state of the world and not be willing to make a difference in it ourselves. Pray about what God wants you to do, and then go get started. If you want to be like Jesus, start by serving just as He did.
Have a blessed and safe day, serving others before you think of yourself and your own needs.
The Bible is filled with Scriptures about how we should treat one another. The question is how do we treat each other at all if we don’t ever spend time with others, in fellowship with other believers to start with and then reaching out to the world? I have found myself wanted to insulate and isolate during my two weeks at home. I love going to church and seeing friends there, communicating with them and hearing what their lives are like. But the last two weeks, I have had to get my body moving forcibly to get up early and make the effort to attend. It’s a good thing that my husband doesn’t put up with slackers!
It’s hard to love one another if you never see one another, isn’t it? A phone call or a card just doesn’t make up for the personal touch that you and others need. That listening ear that you offer so freely also goes along with an expressive face and others need to see it to know that you truly care.
Just as loving is almost impossible without contact, so is serving one another. In fact, how do you know what the needs are if you don’t see them and hear about them from the person in need? Furthermore, you have needs too that can only be met by others in the Body of Christ who reach out to you with the love of the Lord.
Christ forgave each person in a personal and real way. Can we do any less? And how do others know that we have forgiven them if we never go around them? Forgiveness is a foundation of our faith; we offer it to others because it was first given as a free gift to us. I think we need to be in the community of believers to practice this skill called forgiveness. It is not something that is easy to do, but it is easier if you are among others who believe that it is necessary to move forward in your walk with the Lord.
Devotion and honor starts with giving yourself to God and spreads to giving of yourself to others.
Confession to one another holds us accountable and makes us want to be better and to do better the next time that same temptation comes around. We pray for each other and face temptation fully girded and ready, but also knowing that our fellow believers are fighting the good fight with us.
Finally, we must encourage each other. The world is a dark and lonely place, filled with sin and all kinds of horrible things. But we are not alone in the world and God never meant for us to be alone. In fact, when He created woman, he said that it was not good for man to be alone. It still is not good to be alone. We need each other for encouragement and for building each other up. Together, we build the house of the Lord which resides inside us.
I have heard many say that it is not good to go to churches because they are so hypocritical and filled with sin. Actually, what they are is a building in which we worship God and the building is filled with imperfect people who are there to encourage, forgive, confess, honor serve and love. One another! Because that is how God planned it. We are stronger together.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you minister to one another, first in the Body of Christ, and then to the world to which He has called you to serve.
I must admit that I make a very poor servant, especially when unexpected circumstances come up. A point in case is this week when I found out that I need to stay in Maryland. I haven’t been whining, not externally at least, but inside, every part of me has been saying, “But I had other plans. What about my plans?” Today, God spoke to me through His Word and gave me the answer I have been needing all along.
I am not as strong as I once was. I don’t have the stamina or physical capability to do many things, but I can do some things and God will help me through the next two months when I need to be a caregiver for my grandchildren. I pray that the ultimate result will be that God will be praised and get the glory for my being willing to serve. Therein is the secret to service…we don’t serve to get thanked or gifts. Rather, we serve to give all of the glory to God. May the children see Jesus in me as I love them in a special way during this season of giving. Instead of being all about me and what I am sacrificing, it has become all about Jesus and what He already sacrificed so that I could share His love with my young grandchildren.
May the Lord bless and keep you with His strength and lead you to serve for His glory.
www.bible.com/1171/1sa.12.24.mev
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 