“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 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.” – 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)
According to these verses, each of us has gifts that were given specifically to us by God our Father–given to us so that we can use them to show His love and grace to other people. I like the way the NIV phrases it: “…serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” If God’s grace takes on various forms, doesn’t it make sense that our giftings take on various forms, too? We aren’t all meant to love and serve others in exactly the same ways. Some of us are gifted in hospitality in our homes, some in organizing events, some in speaking wise counsel, and some in just sitting and listening to someone else talk. Some are generous with time. Some are generous with money. Some are generous with creativity. There are a myriad of gifts among us, and in order to be “faithful stewards” of these gifts, we must cultivate and use–not neglect!–them.
It can be tempting to excuse ourselves from serving others because of how busy we are, because we don’t think we have much to offer, or because we are in a particularly difficult season of life. But when God tells us that we are to serve others, He doesn’t give us an *if you feel like it by the command. I believe we can always find even small ways to serve others. And quite often, serving others helps us with our own perspectives and mindsets, making way for more purpose and joy in our own lives.
I’ve been through many different seasons in my life, and in each season, I’ve been able to offer myself to others in different ways. Before I had kids of my own, I was able to babysit other people’s kids. I also had more freedom to be spontaneous when I saw an unexpected need arise. And I could go on lunch or coffee dates with other ladies without having to worry about naptimes or bedtimes.
Once I had my own kids (and naptimes and bedtimes were suddenly VERY important), serving people outside my family took on different forms. Sometimes it looked like packing up my little ones and a stroller and walking the mall with my friend and her little ones in tow, just so we could have some time to talk about this new stage of life we were in. Other times, friends and I would take turns babysitting each other’s kids so that the other mom could have a date night with her husband. And when another baby was welcomed into a family, I could double a recipe and cook a meal for that family as I was cooking for my own family. Throughout this season, my ability to understand and relate to other parents deepened, and I found that that was a ministry in itself.
As my kids got older, serving others involved things like carpooling, letting other kids hang out at our house after school, hosting parties for our kids and their friends at our house, or showing our support for others by going to watch their kids’ sporting events or performances. And I could still cook meals for others, when that was the best way to serve them.
Now that my children are all in college or in the workforce, I have more freedom and flexibility in my schedule again. I can host ladies’ nights at my house, so that we can share our lives and encourage each other. I can meet friends for lunch or coffee dates. I can babysit other people’s kids. And I can still make meals for other families who can benefit from them. (That need always seems to be there!)
I anticipate that there are a variety of seasons still ahead of me, and the ways that I can love and serve others will continue to morph and change. What I have learned over the years, though, is that while I can’t always serve in the same ways, I can always serve in some way. There are big and small opportunities all around us, friends. I encourage you to pay attention to your unique gifts and how God can use them throughout each season of your life. Let’s look for opportunities to use our gifts to love and serve others. Let’s not compare our gifts; let’s just be open and creative with what God gave to each of us. And let’s ask the Spirit to keep our eyes and ears open for needs that we can help meet in both beautiful and practical ways.
God has blessed us so that we can, in turn, be a blessing to others…“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.”
About the Author:
Carrie Bevell Partridge has a heart to see families grow in relationship with each other and with God the Father. She and her husband Kevin have been married for 25 years—time that has been marked by their desire to follow Jesus and make disciples through college ministry, church planting, leading house churches, and parenting. They have five children, two of whom they adopted from Colombia in 2016.
Carrie is a writer who focuses on words of encouragement and support for marriage and family; she writes about her own family experiences and what God is teaching her through them. Her “Growth Spurts” column and additional articles were featured in Parents & Kids Magazine for more than ten years. She has been a contributor to New Mercies for Moms, The Uncommon Normal, the Ministry to Parents blog, and other online sources. Her writing has also been published in ParentLife magazine and BabyLife magazine. She is a contributing author to The Favor of Forgiveness: Find Yourself Again devotional book, and she is in the process of writing a book on seizing teachable moments with your kids in everyday life. You can read her work on carriebevellpartridge.com, where you can also subscribe to her emails.
Connect with Carrie:
Instagram: @carriebevellpartridge
Facebook: @carriebevellpartridge
Twitter: @CarriePartridge
