Faithful People Serve Others

In 1 Peter 4:10 it says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (NLT)

God uses my talents to test my unselfishness.

I have to decide in life who or what I’m going to live for. I’m either going to live a self-centered, miserly life or I’m going to live for something greater than myself—the kingdom of God.

Faithful people don’t live for themselves. They realize that the talents God gave them are not for their own benefit. They’re meant to make the world a better place.

When God made me, he gave you all kinds of gifts, talents, abilities, and experiences. Those things make me me. There’s nobody like me in the whole world, and he wants me to be me for his glory.

God shaped me to serve him, and there’s only one way to do that: by serving other people.

I may have a talent for art and say that I do it “just because you love to do it.” That’s nice, but that’s not a good enough motive. God didn’t give me artistic ability just so I can love to do it. He gave it to me so I can use my art to help other people in some way.

Some of us have an ability to fix things. Some of us are good at math. Some of us are good at closing deals. Some of us are good at music. Some of us are good at organizing. And some of us are good at gardening.

God made us all different so that everything in the world gets done. If we all liked to do the same thing, then there would be a whole lot left undone.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (NLT).

I’m the steward of my talents, and God is watching to see if I use what he gave me on earth to bless other people. If I use them effectively on earth, then he’s going to give me more responsibility in heaven—and those responsibilities will bring me joy forever!

God Gives Me Abilities to Help Others

In Romans 7:4 I read, “Now you belong to him who was raised from death in order that we might be useful in the service of God." (GNT)

God created me to help others. Regardless of my job or career, I am called to full-time Christian service. A “non-serving Christian” is a contradiction in terms.

The Bible says, “He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose” (2 Timothy 1:9 GNT).

Jesus came to earth with a mission. God has a mission for my life as well.

“You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you” (1 Peter 2:9 GW).

I may think that being called by God is something only missionaries, pastors, and other full-time church workers experience, but the Bible says every Christian is called to service.

God has given me unique talents and abilities to benefit others, and he’s gifted others with talents and abilities to benefit me. If I don’t share my talents with those around me, they’ll be cheated. If they don’t share their talents with me, I’ll miss out.

Everything in society says, “It’s all about me.” Yet nothing could be further from the truth! God is calling me to use my gifts to help others.

When I use my God-given abilities to help others, I am fulfilling my calling. The Bible says, “Now you belong to him who was raised from death in order that we might be useful in the service of God” (Romans 7:4 GNT).

Jesus glorified God by fulfilling his mission. God wants me to follow that example.

In summary, God created me to help others. I am called to full-time Christian service. He saved me and called me to be his own, not because of what I have done, but because of his own purpose. Jesus came to earth with a mission. God has a mission for my life as well. I was chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God. Every Christian is called to service. God has given me unique talents and abilities to benefit others. If I don’t share my talents with those around me, they’ll be cheated. Society says, “It’s all about me.” Yet nothing could be further from the truth! God is calling me to use my gifts to help others. Jesus glorified God by fulfilling his mission. God wants me to follow that example.

When I die in my old life and belong to Christ, a new life begins. An unbeliever's life is centered on his or her own personal gratification. Those who don't follow Christ have only their own self-determination as their source of power. By contrast, God is at the center of a Christian's life. God supplies the power for the Christian's daily living. Believers find that their whole way of looking at the world changes when they come to Christ.