Today’s devotion is based on Sunday’s message: SERVE with your gifts! To listen: CLICK HERE
“Take my life and let it be…consecrated Lord to thee.”
We sang these words on Sunday which were penned by Frances Ridely Havergal (1836-1879) in 1874. While her life was only 43 years long, she found pleasure in serving the Lord by serving others. As she was a home for women, she asked the Lord to bring the Gospel to those that didn’t know it and encourage and bring deeper joy to those that did. She found herself in prayer desiring for herself and others a deeper reality that all of her life was for the Lord. The hymn verses came as this deep, heart felt prayer.
I love this hymn because it reminds me that our life is not compartmentalized. We don’t have a “church life” and a “real life.” We don’t have “Sundays” and then the “rest of the week.” We have life. As a forgiven, saved, child of God we realize that God can and does capture every aspect of our life for him. Our change isn’t always in activity, although it certainly can be, but in our heart’s focus.
Service is a heart issue. As the Lord instills in us the true blessing and treasure that he gave his life for us, the response of giving our lives to him is the natural reaction to this gift of grace.
Yes, the Holy Spirit gives special gifts for service in God’s kingdom. Hopefully you took a few minutes to explore that. However, he also captures every aspect of our life to function as part of his body. Let me give an example.
At a previous church, a member had a love for remote control cars. He built and drove gas-powered cars, trucks, dune buggies, etc. If you could put a mini-motor in it, he loved to build it. One year he received a significant bonus from his work and asked if he could buy nicer electric car kits for the kids to put together and then race. The Lord led him in his gift of generosity to use his hobby to bring fun, fellowship and a focus on Christ to the youth of our congregation. Later that spring we had a fun afternoon racing the remote control cars and having our pinewood derby races. What a great use of his hobby combined with his love for the Lord.
So what are your hobbies? What do you love to do in your spare time? What gifts do you use at work? What interests do you explore? The question a heart of service leads us to ask is this, “Lord, how can you use all aspects of my life to glorify you and be a blessing to your people and expand your kingdom?” I am curious what he will show you!
A “Remote Control Car” Ministry was not on our strategic plan for that year. But it was on God’s. He worked in Walter’s heart. He arranged the financial blessing. He orchestrated the fellowship around the gift. He enlarged his kingdom through the heart of service his son in the faith had.
Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
The cool thing is God has given you these gifts, passions, hobbies and interests. The amazing thing is he has put you in the place he wants you to use them. It’s time to get off the sidelines and engage…the body of Christ needs you!
Apply: What is one idea God puts in your mind to use your talents, hobbies, career, interests, or experiences to glorify him and serve the people in and with your local church?
Prayer: Lord thank you for taking my life and wrapping it up in your grace. Help me to live my life always as an expression of thanksgiving for that grace. AMEN.