Hi and welcome to Perspective For Today. We’re going to depart from Romans for this week. I wanted to tackle the subject of serving others and what God may be calling you to do.
I think the first thing we need to consider is do we have a servant’s heart?
If our heart is not in the right place there is no way that God can use us to serve others. You need to ask yourself who am I serving? Am I serving God or am I just looking for self-gratification?
So before you even consider going out on the mission field you need to have a renewed mind.
Through that renewed mind we will know the will of God. Romans 12:2 helps us to understand this concept.
And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
You need to prove it to yourself. Is it good?
If you pursue this act of servitude would it be pleasing in God’s eyes?
Colossians 1:10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Next you need to consider whether it would be acceptable to God.
In other words are you using your spiritual gifts or are you drawing upon your own intellect, and things that you feel comfortable in doing. God doesn’t want us to be comfortable, he wants us to get out of our comfort zone so that he can stretch us and use us for His glory. One of the ways others see Christ in us is when we go beyond our own abilities and depend upon the leading of the Holy Spirit to see us through.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
This verse doesn’t say some things, it says all things. We can do all things through Christ. Through Christ we can be stretched beyond our own abilities.
Finally, we need to prove whether our God chosen ministry is pointing us towards God’s perfect will.
When you are walking in total and complete obedience to His voice to you, then you are in the perfect will of God.
Through our renewed mind it will become more apparent not only what God is calling us to do, but what he has gifted us to do.
A word of caution before we go on. Don’t let the pursuit of your spiritual gift become your main focus. Keep your eyes on Jesus and your spiritual gift will be made readily apparent. In other words don’t let the gift become your God.
1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
If we are a good steward then we are the caretakers of all that God has given us.
His varied Grace is manifest in the spiritual gifts that He has bestowed upon us. So we are called to be good stewards of those gifts. In other words we are to use those gifts for His glory in total obedience to Him and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please understand that if you have a spiritual gift and you don’t use it then it grieves God.
It’s just as if a friend gave you a car for your birthday and you never drove it. What a disappointment it would be to your friend.
So God has given us all spiritual gifts. How do we unwrap that gift to see what God has given us?
If there is something that you are passionate about and it is something that your heart desires to do, that’s a good place to start.
When your friend gave you that car as a gift he took the time to pick out a car that he knew you would desire. God knows the desires of our heart and he has equipped us to fulfill those desires.
Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Let me be clear though, if your desire is not in keeping with God’s will for your life then don’t expect God to fulfill that desire. Anything that is self-serving or self-gratifying is not God’s will for your life. It is your own fleshly desires.
Another area that will help affirm where you should be looking to serve is through other believers.
Ask members of your church what they see in you and where they feel you really shine.
Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Sometimes others see things in you that you don’t.
Another thing to remember is don’t expect God to reveal what he has called you to do if you are not obedient in the things he has already revealed.
In other words if you’re having sex before marriage, and you know that’s outside of his will, don’t expect God to call you for anything. Before you can know God’s calling on your life you need to have your life right with God.
God needs to know he can trust you with the little things first.
Matthew 25:23 His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.
As always, take it to the Lord in prayer.
But if you’re going to go to him in prayer make sure you take the time to listen. Remember prayer is a two-way street.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
I know this goes without saying, but read your Bible.
Get into God’s word and let His word get into you. I can think of no better way to know what God has called you to do than to be intimately in tune with His word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So far we’ve covered how we can get to know what God is calling us to do. I think it would be beneficial to take a look at the specific spiritual gifts that we as believers might be called to.
I am not going to go over an extensive list, but rather take a bird’s eye view of a few of the opportunities that might present themselves to us.
The first gift we will look at is teaching.
If you are able to communicate God’s word to others in a way that they can understand then teaching might be one of your gifts.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
God may call you to teach a Sunday school class or maybe lead a Bible study. Teaching is such an honorable calling. Just remember that as a teacher, always teach the truth. Don’t add your own embellishments to God’s word.
Speaking of the truth, maybe your gift is discernment.
Discernment gives you the ability to separate the truth from the untruth and that which is Godly from the ungodly.
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
Discernment should be reflected in how we interpret doctrine,
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Discernment should dictate how we choose our friends.
One example can be found in, Proverbs 22:24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,
Discernment reveals what moral standards we should live by, and how we discern ourselves.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
So in the interest of time I’m going to end with one last spiritual gift, the spiritual gift of exhortation or more aptly the gift of encouragement.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
If you want to be an encouragement in someone’s life then you need to build them up in their faith.
In other words you are called to help other believers to mature in Christ.
An exhorter is able to give God thanks in all seasons.
He sees the good in every situation. He is able to look beyond the circumstances and trust and believe that God is in control. He shares that belief with those that are struggling with their faith. The exhorter is a shining light in a dark place. The exhorter has an end game, through his discipleship it is his heartfelt desire to make new disciples that they may go out and bring this good news to others.
2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
As I said earlier there are many other spiritual gifts. Maybe in another episode we can explore those gifts in more detail. But for now I think we need to bring this episode to a close. As always may you have a week full of opportunities to share this good news with those that need to hear it.