04 16 08 As Unto the Lord

“And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.”
(Romans 12:6-8)

These gifts (charismata in Greek) we receive from the Lord are to be used to build up the Body of Christ, to encourage one another, and are to be pursued and developed. Much like the athlete who must continually exercise and study his opponents, we must also keep ourselves in peak spiritual condition and at the top of our game for God to use us well. Use it or lose it is an old saying in sports for the physical gifts we possess. I would not want God to take away my spiritual gift and render me unusable for His work.

I must admit, it’s a challenge these days learning both the business end of ministry and studying His Word diligently as well. My wife is being taxed as well. Yet we owe it to Christ and those we serve to be prepared, trained, and fully equipped for the ministry he has given to us. When faced with an excuse to quit, or even slow down, we observe the cross. Christ finished the course. He served…He taught…He encouraged…and He did all with sincerity and diligence; all to please the Father. If He could do it, I can! We all can!

Let’s serve cheerfully; AS UNTO THE LORD. He is the One we serve.