1 Peter 4:10, 11 - Gifts with Grace to the Glory of God.
1 Peter 4:10, 11 (NLT) God has given each of
you a gift from his great variety of spiritual
gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do
you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as
though God himself were speaking through you. Do
you have the gift of helping others? Do it with
all the strength and energy that God supplies.
Then everything you do will bring glory to God
through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him
forever and ever! Amen.
INTRODUCTION
Our abilities should be faithfully used in
serving others; none are for our own exclusive
enjoyment. Some people, well aware of their abilities,
believe that they have the right to use their
abilities as they please. Others feel that they have
no special talents at all. Peter addresses both
groups in these verses. Everyone has some gifts;
find yours and use them. Peter mentions speaking
and serving. Paul lists these and other
abilities in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, and
Ephesians 4:11. Even as you seek to discover your
gifts, if you see a need in the church, seek to
meet it. You may find gifts in areas you might
not have guessed! [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Why Do We Need Each Other?
Your abilities are for the benefit of
other people. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10,
Each of you as a good manager must use the gift
that God has given you to serve others (GW).
You need me, and I need you. Nobody is
good at everything. Nobody has every talent.
There are no perfect people who can say to the
world, I dont need anybody else.
We need each other. We were made to work
in teams! Thats why you need a small group
and a church family. Were better together.
Heres the key to success: Build on
your strengths so that your weaknesses become
irrelevant. Every successful person does this. Just work
on what youre good at, and make it better.
Heres a second rule of success: Team
up with people who are good at what youre
not good at. Team up with people who complement
you. Everybody has something to contribute.
Nobody has it all together. We need each other!
This, by the way, is one of the purposes
of marriage. In marriage were put together
to complement each others strengths and to
compensate for each others weaknesses. What happens
when we dont compensate for each others
weaknesses? We criticize each other. Thats not what
marriage is for. Marriage puts two sinners together,
so there can be no perfect relationships. But
in a marriage, you know the others
weaknesses, so you can help compensate for them.
For example, take bill paying and
budgeting. Who should do it? The one who does it
better! The Bible doesnt tell us who should do
one role over another. Just figure out who does
it better, and in doing that, you compensate
for each others weaknesses. Thats why my
wife, Kay, always drives instead of me. Shes a
much more careful driver than I am.
This also applies to your work. If you
want your business to be effective, heres the
key: Staff by SHAPE. Help people discover their
SHAPE - their Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities,
Personality, and Experiences - and put them in the
positions theyre good at. When you do that, you
wont have to micromanage them or motivate them.
Why? Because theyll be doing what they love to
do, and theyll be good at it.
God wants every person to use their
abilities to help other people. We need each other!
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
ILLUSTRATION
If God Calls You to Teach...
People sometimes ask me what its like
to stand up and preach at a crusade. Its an
awesome privilege as well as a somewhat scary
responsibility because I want to make sure that I represent
the Lord well.
I want to make sure that what I say is
biblical, and I want to rightly divide the Word of God
because thats what people whom God has called to
teach are supposed to do.
By the way, Im the least qualified
person who has ever been called to be a teacher. I
was a poor student. I never studied, I failed
tests, and I was a big goof-off.
But since then, Ive learned to study,
prepare, and put a lot of effort into the messages I
preach. I know that Ill be held accountable for
everything I say.
Writing about spiritual gifts, the
apostle Paul said, If your gift is serving
others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach
well (Romans 12:7 NLT). In other words, work at
your craft.
Musicians, for example, work on their
skill set. They practice. In the same way, if
you're a preacher or teacher, then study, prepare,
and get your message ready. Its a privilege
to speak for God, and the Bible actually warns
that teachers will receive a greater judgment.
So, how do you know whether God has
called you to teach? Its very simple. Ive
often said that if you want to find out whether
youre a leader, then lead and see if anyone
follows. The same goes for teaching. If you want to
know whether youre a teacher, then teach and
see if anyone listens to you.
If you have the gift of teaching, then
develop it and cultivate it. And if God calls you to
teach, then teach well. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
1 Peter 4:10, 11 - Gifts with Grace to the
Glory of God.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190901-1117.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
