Good Stewards of God’s Grace

“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:8-11

From childhood we learn that when we are given a gift, it is ours. It is to be used for our enjoyment. It is our possession, uniquely owned. But when we receive a spiritual gift from God, it is made very clear that it is not to be considered ours alone but is to be shared with others for the benefit of all. In other words, our gift is more of a management responsibility than a thing we keep to ourselves. There’s that word again: self. Whenever you see it in a sentence, it should set off a little alarm in your spirit. It’s an automatic warning of the greatest resistance against God in our lives.

Much of Christ’s teaching goes against our “natural” way of thinking. As a child of God you have been gifted for ministry. There’s an old song that says, “If you do not use it, you will surely lose it. You have a talent, use it for the Lord.” That may be true concerning a talent, but a gift is another issue. If you don’t employ your gift, what you’ll lose will be your God-given opportunity to be God’s instrument in someone else’s life. Lost opportunities can never be “made up.” The opportunity and its subsequent reward are lost when we choose not to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

A Spirit-filled life results in service to others. That’s the will of the Father!