Stewards of Grace {Day 18}

June 5, 2014  - By Gretchen Saffles

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as god 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

Would you like a chili cheese fry with that vanilla Dr. Pepper? I asked my mom as I roller bladed through the house acting like I was a Sonic waitress. If you were to ask me what I dreamed of being when I grew up when I was five years old, a few things on my list would have included a wife, missionary, mom and a maid. Yep, you read that correct. I aspired to be a maid when I grew up! Insert head nod from every wife and mom reading this who has been enlisted as the official maid of the home. My grandmother sewed a dress for me that looked like it had come from the 1800s and had a white apron on it. I would wear this dress all the time and act like I was a maid. I’m not exactly sure what made me want to be maid, considering I didn’t even like to clean when I was little.  I do know that the Lord has taught me a lesson through my dreams as a little girl. Without knowing it, I aspired to be a servant to all.

As believers, we are called to be servants. Just like Jesus came not to be served by many, but to be a servant of all, so are we to be servants of all. (Matthew 20:28) In 1 Peter 4:10-11, Peter explains that we have each received a different gift of grace that is to be used to serve others in the name of Jesus. God gives each of us good gifts that are not for our glorification, but for His. He gives us passions, desires and dreams that are not for our fame, but for His. He gives us abundant grace so that we might serve others and experience the fullness of joy He wills for us.

grace

Peter tells us to “employ” our gift of grace. The word for employ or use here means “to be a servant and to wait at a table and offer food and drinks to people…to minister necessities to sustain life.” Literally, every day of our life should be an opportunity to serve those around us, as if we were a waiter or waitress in a restaurant. We should be serving others in the name of Jesus, rejoicing in the low tasks, bearing with one another as Christ has been patient with us, and giving our time and energy that others may also know Jesus. We are to be ministering the gospel of grace to every person we come in contact with. You might ask: What does that mean? What does that look like?

It means we speak with God’s words. We serve with God’s strength. We rejoice with God’s joy. We eat giving thanks to God. We work with all our might. We see people as God sees them. We smile at others with the love of Jesus. We pray earnestly in the Holy Spirit. We do everything “in order that in God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” (verse 11) God is glorified when we steward (or manage) our individual gifts of grace well.

  1. How are you using your gifts to bring glory to God? How can you use them even more for the Kingdom?
  2. What does it mean to live in the grace of God? How can you serve others in the name of Jesus? (in your family, your work, your travel, your errands, etc.)

May we use our gifts and steward them well for the glory of God in the name of Jesus!

seeking to serve,

Gretchen

 

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