Serve with Love
Here at Urban Sanctuary, we serve with love all day long. We are here for the community as a place of refuge and tranquility. A place to explore and grow their spiritual life, both individually and within groups. It is a sacred space we love to share.
Wednesday in the Fifth Week of Lent ~ 3/29/23
“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belongs the glory and the power forever, and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:8-11)
I think it would be meaningful to really focus on “whatever gift each of you has received”. (You can choose any line from Peter’s passage above). Perhaps use Lectio Divina. If you are practicing the Holy Hours, you could use this line each “Hour”, for your meditation. Remember to read the passage slowly, and see if a word or phrase jumps out for you. Repeat this twice, slowly each time. Contemplate what God might be speaking to you through His word(s).
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
This was a challenge I issued to each of my teens when I was a Youth Minister. I let them know/reminded them, that they were created by a loving Creator, who planted a gift, a purpose, a reason why they were created within their soul. If you do not use that gift or share that gift, it will not be able to be shared by anyone else, in the same way that you would, and the good that could be done, will not be done.
You might be a fantastic musician. How are you using your gift? Are you following your own mind on how to make millions of dollars, or become famous? Or, are you sharing your gift with the world, “so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ.”? This is where serving comes in – you will find that when you serve others with your gift, you are both rewarded!
Not everyone can be a musician, and that’s ok, but if that’s a gift that God has blessed you with, if you don’t share your particular gift, no one will ever hear it. What/who is your favorite song or singer? What if they never sang that particular song that you love? There would be a void, where there is now a beautiful song for you to enjoy.
This applies to every gift you have been given – some so simple you might not even consider it a gift. Perhaps you make people smile with your beautiful smile. An incredible gift! Perhaps you love the elderly, or the very young. Perhaps you are a fast runner. You likely have more than one gift with which you were blessed, but knowing at least one of your gifts is necessary for your spiritual growth and development – it is the way in which you can serve others with love.
Jesus’ example of laying down His life for others, while extreme, can be a model for us to serve others with our life – with the gifts that are unique to us. In this way, we are serving Jesus, also.
All Glory and honor and power be to Him! Amen.
May your blessings continue along your Lenten journey . . . we’ve only got a couple days left.