As Christians we are called to serve Christ in all we do. God blesses you so that you might be a blessing to others. The Holy Spirit gives us a desire to serve others though our local church, to be a blessing for the Lord. The desire to serve is a wonderful sign of spiritual fruit in your life. Your God-given gifts and talents are given the chance to blossom when you serve your church body. The Bible tells us that we are a family, and we need each other. The apostle Peter taught, "Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10). "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
The Lord put us together where we are to bless one another, and to complement one another. "Various forms," Peter said in the verse above. That means we are not all given the same gifts. Some may be gifted in the arts like writing, music or art. Others excel in organizing, children's ministry, youth work, counseling, teaching, construction, crafts, hospitality….and many spiritual gifts. The Spirit gives us great gifts! We want to encourage you to use your gifts for God.
Now you may be trying to decide just what area of ministry to serve, in determining your place in the body of Christ. Know this – God has a place for you to serve and He will use your unique blend of experiences, talents, traits, and gifts to best accomplish His work. We each have a part to play in God’s great symphony.
The Apostle Paul calls us the '"Body of Christ," and like our human bodies, each part has a specific purpose. You were designed for a specific work and we want to make sure that you serve where your gifts will best be used. One of the main reasons for burnout in ministry is people serving in areas where they are not truly called. Carefully praying and discerning your gifts will maximize the potential for you to experience one of the greatest joys you'll ever know - being used by God in the capacity for which you were designed. God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.
Just look at the witness of the Bible – He used an old man named Abraham to father many nations; He used a prisoner named Joseph to become Governor of Egypt; He used a shepherd boy named David to defeat the great warrior of his day and to later become king; and he used a carpenter named Joseph to be earthly father to the Son of God, who was born to a peasant woman. There is no doubt that God can multiply our abilities when we give ourselves to Him.
The blood of Christ can make you as new, and the Spirit will make a place for you to serve in the body of Christ. May you become involved where God will be glorified through the gifts and talents He has given you. I encourage you to trust God to place you in the perfect area of ministry for which He has equipped you. When we become part of a church body we are not only on the receiving end of others' gifts, but we get the opportunity to use our gifts to bless others. May God richly bless you as you experience the abundant joy of serving Him with all your heart!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment