Our Motive in Serving

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

(1 Peter 4:10-11 ESV)

Have you ever given a gift, only to find that it was wasted? Have you ever given a gift, only to find that it was used for a purpose other than the one you intended? I think you'd agree that this is frustrating. It makes you regret giving the gift in the first place.

As believers, we have each been gifted by God. We’ve been given a particular grace that we might serve him and bless one another. This tells us that these gifts are not something that we possess in ourselves. It tells us that they are not inherent abilities.

For this reason, we’re called to be good stewards of this grace. Because these abilities have been entrusted to us by God, we’re to make use of them.  And, more than that, we’re to use them for their intended purpose.

We’re to use them in the way he intends for them to be used. We’re to use them in the manner desired by God.  They are not to be neglected or used in a selfish way.

If we speak, we are to speak as one sharing God’s Word.  If we serve, we are to do so with his strength. We are to use our gifts recognizing that he is their source, seeking to accomplish his purpose.

We are to do so that, in everything, God may be glorified. Our goal in serving, our goal in using our gifts, is for the glory of God. If we’re to be a good steward of God’s gifts, they’re to be used that he might be honored.

This is convicting because, instead of using our gifts for the glory of God, we often use them for our own. We serve for the accolades it brings to us. We serve for the attention we gain from it.

Each person to whom we proclaim the gospel becomes a notch on our belt.  We bake each pan of bars hoping that people will think well of us. We serve on the council for the title it provides. We sing in the church for the applause that it brings.

Even if we are well-intentioned, this can be the underlying motive of our heart. As we serve, it’s not God’s glory we’re seeking, but our own. And, for this, we must repent. We must seek God’s forgiveness and the humility to serve for his glory alone.