"LOVE-FUELED SERVICE"

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:”

1 Peter 4:10

God's idea of the Church is simply amazing. First, we are imperfect individuals called by a perfect Creator, who is the Head of the Church. We are joined together by the Savior, who freely gave up His life that took us from the kingdom of darkness to the glorious Kingdom of God. But it did not stop there. Jesus' love and concern for us go beyond our individual needs and capacities. While He loves us independently, He also loves us collectively.

Love is the reason why the Church exists. And where there is love, there is an innate desire to serve. Jesus said that our love for one another is proof that we are indeed His disciples. The ultimate expression of Jesus' love is indeed the Cross. However, even before He sacrificed His life for our sins, Jesus served the people, most notably, His twelve disciples. They called Him "Lord," but He washed their dust-covered feet, an act reserved only for the lowliest of slaves.

Today's verse was written during a time when being a Christian was considered a crime. Suffering was synonymous with being a follower of Jesus. This scenario should be expected because the Church was still in its infancy and teaches things that contradict the ways of the world.

Peter addresses his readers to put on Christ's attitude in the midst of suffering. By willingly enduring hardship for Jesus, believers steer away from the dreary effects of sin. In other words, the more we strive to be like Christ, the less we sin. Peter tells his readers to show grace even when people mistreat them. That's because Christian love is first and foremost, forgiving. This doesn't mean we should condone sin, but we should not want to see someone getting hurt either.

In addition to forgiving, serving is another way we can express our love for one another. But how do we serve? By using our spiritual gifts. Peter tells us that every believer has at least one spiritual gift, which is supernaturally given by the Holy Spirit for others' benefit. This gift is not earned but received by grace. There are at least three passages that describe spiritual gifts, namely, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-10, and Ephesians 4:1-16.

God calls us "stewards," which means we are responsible for His resources, i.e., spiritual gifts. Technically, we do not own our gift/s, but God entrusted them to help build the Church and glorify God.

Our gifts are intended to be discovered, honed, and used to serve others. Unfortunately, many of us fail to use them, and in effect, we “rob” the Church of the blessing we're supposed to give. We can't be members of the Church without actively participating in its efforts to advance God's Kingdom. If we love God and His people, we should serve. Remember that Jesus said, "I came to serve and not to be served." He expects us to do the same.

Pursue the Saviour today!