GIVERS OR TAKERS, SERVERS OF HINDERERS, SELFISH OR OTHERISH

GIVERS OR TAKERS, SERVERS OR HINDERERS, SELFISH OR OTHERISH

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. —I Peter 4:10

            What spiritual gift or gifts do you have from our Lord? That gift or gifts are to be used in service to each other.   In doing so we will be “good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Are you and I being good stewards?

            “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (I Corinthians 12:7).   Truly, each member in the body of Christ is to be active servants, not passive onlookers. They are not to be standing around idle while others are serving.   They are to be serving. Where are you serving? If you are not serving then you are not being a faithful steward of God’s grace that has been given to you. The gift or gifts that you have are for the benefit of others, not yourself!

            “But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design” (I Corinthians 12:18). Your spiritual giftedness is according to His design just as the members of the physical body are designed for specific purpose and function.   Yet all the members are connected to each other and they are all connected to the head. The physical body is truly a wonderful illustration of what it is to be as the body of Christ, the church.

            You know how it is when one member of your physical body is not working.   How do you function with a broken arm?   It is out of commission until it is healthy again. Or think of any other part of your body that is not healthy. Look how the rest of your body is affected! So it is with the body of Christ, the church. When members of the body are not functioning as they ought to, then the whole body is affected. You can think of this at a local church level, but also the universal church level.   Those members who are not being faithful stewards of God’s grace by serving in their giftedness are negatively affecting other members of the church.

            For a local church to be healthy each member of the body is to be healthy in connection with the head and other members of the body in relationship and service. It appears that too many times instead of each member submitting to the head they instead want to be the head. In doing so they are not submitting to the only Head, Jesus, but are disrupting the body by seeking to be what they are not. Oh, that we would each serve in the capacity of our giftedness as we submit to the head and do so for the common good of the body. May it be so!

Dear Father please help me to function as part of the church body as You desire me to, being in submission to the only Head, Your Son Jesus and serving for the common good of the church. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x8TZiwPGa0