Abandon & Serve - Encouragement Café - August 4
Abandon & Serve
By Luann Prater
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. Ephesians 6:7
We must choose to uniquely serve God based on who we are. Proverbs 37:4-5 says:
Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD. Trust in Him and He will do this.
That doesn’t mean that God is going to give you whatever you want, but it does mean that if you do the first part and discover who you are and put your life in God’s hands, then He will give you a life that will fulfill your desires. You will find yourself saying, “I was made for this!! I’m doing His will! Man, I am fully alive!”
God has shaped us for service! Write the word S-H-A-P-E down in your journal as a vertical acrostic. God shapes us in order to make us fit for His service.
The S stands for SPIRITUAL GIFTEDNESS. When you become a believer God instills a Spiritual Gift in your life. Everyone in the Body of Christ is Spiritually Gifted! That means you are fit to serve Him because of the gifting He has provided!
I don’t know about you but sometimes I’ve struggled with feeling worthy to serve. I’ve stumbled over the “Who am I?” statement when presented with an opportunity to impact the kingdom.
An awesome discovery is found in 1 Peter 4:10-11:
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. You are part of the team. God doesn’t expect you to do it all, just your part.
Did you notice it DID NOT say, “A Spiritual Gift has been given to a select few.” No! It says each of us has been given a gift that was specially chosen by God himself. And this gift was given so we could use it to bless others and build His kingdom and make a real difference in our world!
The H stands for HEARTBEAT. What does your heart beat strong for? You know, there are some things that make your heart do flips and other things that make you yawn. Some things I’m really passionate about make you tired. Things that excite you may bore me to tears! God in His infinite wisdom gave you a heart, a passion for something. What does your heart beat for?
Ask yourself, “What is the #1 thing I most enjoy doing for God and others? If I had the time to do it and I was not afraid of failing, what would I like to do?” When you start doing the thing that you are most gifted to do and that you are passionate about, watch out! You will light up with LIFE!
Father forgive us for comparing ourselves to others. Reveal to us how we are uniquely equipped to serve as no one else can. Then give us the boldness and desire to step into our destiny. In Jesus’ name amen.
For more encouragement, visit Luann at luannprater.com.
© 2020 by Luann Prater. All rights reserved.
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