Thursday, October 13 | Whatever you have
Read 1 Peter 4:7-11
“To serve one another…” This passage starts to give some practical implications to the strategy of giving freely in service. How do we serve? By using whatever we have to serve someone else.
When my kids were little, 1 Peter 4:10 was our family verse for a year. We talked about a simple way to practice this verse: sharing. For example, if they had two cookies, and someone else didn’t have any, they could offer one to their friend!
That’s a really simplistic way to think about this passage, but at its core, I think that’s what Peter is saying. Look at everything you have. Consider your possessions, your personality, your family, and the things you’re good at. Make a mental catalog of it.
Then think about how you could share that possession or talent with someone else to bring a little shalom into the world. And then, you just do it. I think that’s what the early church was doing.
They looked around and took stock of what they had. The wealthy members noticed they had a lot more than they needed and that others didn’t have enough. The math was pretty simple. They sold what they had to help out the ones who did not have enough.
At its core, that’s service. Looking at whatever you have as something to be given for others.
Today, make a list of what God has given you. List some of your material possessions, the skills you have, and your personality. Then spend some time writing out how those possessions, skills, and personality could be used to usher a little shalom into the world. How could your time, talent, and treasure be a part of God’s mission to help all know Him and to help all creation flourish?