WE RECEIVE THAT WE MIGHT GIVE

Pastor Thomas Smith   -  

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

According to the Bible, all of us are gifted for ministry to others. We are not all gifted in the same measure or the same manner, but all are gifted. How do we know that we have something to offer which has the potential to be a blessing to others? We know this because God declares it to be so. The phrase every man can only mean exactly what is says. We have heard more than a few Christians say things such as “I don’t have any talent,” or “I don’t have a spiritual gift,” or “There is really nothing I can do to benefit others.” These statements, though perhaps sincere, are simply not true.

According to the Word of God, we can be confident that God has uniquely equipped each of us to serve in some capacity. Understanding this should create a sense of purpose and personal worth in each of us. Where do these talents, gifts, and abilities come from? Our verse tells us that we “received” them. They come from God. God equips us for service according to His good pleasure. It is our duty to discover and develop the gifts that God gives us.

This is a part of our responsibility as “stewards,” but we should always keep in mind that our gifts are given to us by our Heavenly Father. Knowing this helps to remove the tendency to boast or become prideful about the abilities we are given. The Word of God refers to our gifts as “the manifold grace of God.” Any good that we are able to accomplish should not be for our praise but for the glory of God.

Why does God gift us? He gifts us to serve Him, but particularly to “minister the same one to another.” God does not gift us to use our talents and abilities for personal gain or for self-glory. What God gives, He intends for us to use to help people. We receive, in order that we might give. God blesses us so that we might be a blessing. One day we will give an account of the stewardship of our gifts.