Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. –1 Corinthians 2:12

“Serving God and others-what a heavy load, an awesome responsibility. Maybe it helps to remember that we have gifts to help with the serving-gifts given to us, in this case, by God. We can experience deep joy in using our gifts. But that would be only half the story if we didn’t help others and enrich their lives. Serving God and others through our gifts is an adventure.” Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Edition.)

Serving Others – A New Wrinkle That is Truly Unique

We can experience a lot of joy and peace when we share with others out of our abundance – but too many people see their lives as a place of “lack”, not as a place of abundance. Let’s break this down just a bit.

Imagine your life without the most important people who have impacted your living? Think of parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, mentors, siblings, aunts and uncles. Now think of the places where you lived – broken down, castle-like, sprawling and miniature places that formed your place in this large world. You may think to yourself: “I don’t have much”. And that might be true. You may have a limited amount of stuff and a pinched bank account. But you also have all of the experiences, the lessons, the love, the loss, the successes, the failures that also form the person you are today. Each experience, each failure, each accomplishment, each loss and each discovery is a gift – not just to you, but potentially to someone else.

Laurie Hanson writes: “We can experience deep joy in using our gifts. But that would be only half the story if we didn’t help others and enrich their lives. Serving God and others through our gifts is an adventure.”

What will it take for you to see your life as a place of abundance and not as a place of lacking?

Let us pray,

Lord of life, thank you for my gifts; all of my experiences and accomplishments — the good and the bad, the happy and sad. They are many-both those I have discovered and those I have yet to tap. Help me to honor you by growing these gifts and using them to help others in exciting, liberating ways. Amen.

Pastor Dave