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
What are we doing to serve God? What are we doing to serve God's people? Are we just riding the wave after simply receiving the gift of salvation without actually serving God?
It's funny. While I was growing up, I always perceived "serving God" as some form or talking to people, or witnessing to people, or inviting people to church. While those are definitely great ways to serve, these are somewhat of a problem for me. I am about as introvert as one can be. I am anti-social. I cannot carry on a conversation with someone else for the mere purpose of social interaction for longer than a span of about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes, my batteries are completely dead, and I have to go re-charge for about 2 hours before I can converse for another 5 minutes.
Just today at church, someone stopped me jokingly to tell me that she noticed I really am anti-social. I simply hide in the corner. and she noticed it because my son does the same thing in the nursery. He simply hides in the corner and plays with his toys.
So, for me, this form of service simply doesn't work. Being introvert is not a sickness, or something that needs to be fixed. It is simply who I am.
Fortunately, for me, I've learned over the years that there are countless ways that we can serve God without actually having to socially talk to people. Some of those things are:
- run sound or media for your church
- teach sunday school (yes, I know....but teaching is not a social activity. In fact, over the last few years, I've learned that some of the best speakers I've ever heard are extremely introvert, and cannot carry a social conversation with someone outside of a classroom setup)
- see / meet a small need for someone who may not have expected it.
What are you doing to serve God? Are we using the talents that God has given to us to serve the people around us? Today, let's think on this. Let's think of new ways that we can use our skills to serve God, and to serve others.
