Serving God, Part 3

Chuckle: After seeing his brother baptized, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys."

Good Quote: “Lose yourself in generous service and every day can be a most unusual day, a triumphant day, an abundantly rewarding day!” --William Arthur Ward

UNIQUELY YOU

"God has given each of some special abilities. Be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessing" (1 Corinthians 12:7 NJB).

We continue our study of God's fourth purpose for your life and mine, as identified from Scripture by Rick Warren: "You Were Shaped for Serving God" by serving others.

When God made you he threw the mold away, so to speak. There is not another person in the world exactly like you. Only you are uniquely you! When you use your unique spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences in service to God by meeting the needs of others you are performing your unique ministry that God intended for you. Sadly, many Christians do not experience the joy that comes from serving God as he shaped them to do.

Think for a moment about the abilities and gifts you know you have. Are you using them fully for God's glory? In addition, you likely have many undiscovered abilities and gifts that you are unaware of because you've never tried to use them in God's service. Let me encourage you to be bold in trying to do some ministries you've never done before. You will never fully understand the dimensions of your gifts and abilities until you use them in service. To learn to swim, you must get into the water. . . .!

"Since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts of Christ's body. Let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be" (Romans 12:5 The Message).

When you do your best, you always feel good about the results. You will experience joy from knowing you have served God well. However, Satan is actively trying to steal your joy of service from you by tempting you to compare your ministry to the ministry of others, and by tempting you to conform your ministry to what others expect of you. Both are dangerous traps that will distract you from serving in the unique ways God intended for you to serve. The Bible teaches us that we should never compare ourselves with others: "Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others" (Galatians 6:4 NIV).

If you want to be fruitful and attain fulfillment, put to use your unique God-given spiritual gifts in ministry to others. God wants you to be all you can be -- the person he made and shaped you to be! If your area of ministry matches your shape, you will be successful. So remember, if you are a Christian, God has equipped you to serve Him by serving others; God will empower you to serve by his Holy Spirit; and God is exalted when you serve using his gifts and his power.

Love, Jerry & Dotse