Seeds for 06/18/2024 - 1 Peter 4:11
Scripture:
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Observation:
I was on the team directing the Trinity GMC Summer Camp last week (:35 recap, 7:00 recap) and apparently needed an extra day’s rest yesterday. That said, I can’t think of a more perfectly timed scripture to pick up for reflection after that amazing experience.
There’s a parallel instruction here. Speaking and serving for the disciple of Jesus is to be done in the Lord. Speakers do not speak their own words, but bring the “very words of God.” Servants do not serve in their own strength and ability but “with the strength God provides.”
We can work in our own strength or we can work in His.
As we prepared for camp, several images kept coming to mind. One that seems pertinent here is of sailing. A person must work extraordinarily hard to hoist the sails and get them set in the right direction. But they would be a fool to think that the boat was progressing on their power. They were doing the work in order to be aligned with the wind’s power.
Likewise, when serving in ministry the demands are great, the work is hard, yet the power is all God!
Sometimes we speak of doing ministry for God. But it need not be this way. There is something better by far—doing ministry with God. Ministry with God is just that—sharing the work and tapping into “the strength God provides.”
It works against the old saying, “pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on us.” Now, I understand the intent of this saying, but I must reject it because it simply isn’t true. We don’t pray like it all depends on God. We pray because it all depends on God. We don’t work like it all depends on us either. We work—hard and diligently—because it is God who is working within us! We work because we are hoisting the sails to stay tapped into His power. We work because we are called to be surrendered servants and we get to share the joy of seeing kingdom fruit.
When we do ministry with God—“with the strength God provides,” the praise truly goes to Him because it is His power that has accomplished such magnificent works through our obedient surrender.
Application:
Have you experienced the difference of serving with God instead of for God? What was that like?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, we want you to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. So, lead us to serve with the strength you provide and not our own. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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