As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11
Let’s imagine a scene together. It’s a child’s birthday party and the birthday girl has received just the gift she was wanting. It’s like a dream come true! She can’t believe it’s really hers! And then her mom says she needs to share it with the other kids at the party. What? Can you imagine the confusion and hurt on her face? Can you just see the disappointment as she hands the gift over to be used by others and watch the joy on their faces as they play with it? Will it bring her joy to see others enjoying the gift or will she try to hoard it and keep it to herself?
A similar scene plays itself out in our lives as we discover the gifts and talents God has given each of us. Each of us has gifts that match us perfectly; talents that make us unique and set apart from others. For some it is the gift of empathy, for others an artistic gift, and still others are blessed with the gift of organization. We often take our gifts and use them to our advantage to get ahead in the world. We monetize our gifts and they become something that serves us and helps us thrive.
But what if the gift you were given was not for you? What if the gift you were given was for others? 1 Peter 4 tells us that each of us has received a gift we are to use to serve one another. The purpose of the gift isn’t to hoard resources for yourself, it is to give you the opportunity to contribute to the world in a way that builds others up and brings God glory in the process. The gift you’ve been given wasn’t given for you – it was given to you for others.
How does this make you look differently at your gifts? If you’re not quite sure of your gift yet, take the gift inventory on our website: https://www.becomingmore.online/_files/ugd/8c8707_9f982e278c294fc0b86fbbb6053bfbac.pdf