We need to rely on God and give him the credit
“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 you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you 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 (TNIV)
Serving others is obedience to God, and a command, not an option. But it can feel very draining. After all, God never said we don’t have needs of our own – he only promised that we don’t have to worry about them. God will provide for our needs, and here Peter tells us that this includes providing us with the strength to serve others.
It is important for us to be aware of the difference between self-centred service to others, and God-centred service to others. Both involve sacrificing our skills and time to meet other people’s needs, and there is a danger that we will confuse the two – as anyone who doesn’t know God would confuse the issue – and this can mean that we miss the point about service, and run out of energy to serve.
| Self-centred service is: |
God-centred service is: |
| Directed by us – what we think is a good idea |
Directed by God – obedient to God’s lead |
| Based on what we consider to be our skills |
Based on the gifts we know we received from God |
| Based on what we think people deserve |
Based on God’s grace – not deserved |
| Based on our own words and creativity |
Based on words received from God |
| Drawing on our own strength and stamina |
Drawing on the strength God provides for us |
| Making ourselves look good |
Making God look good |
| Accepting praise for ourselves |
Directing praise to God through Jesus |
| Recognised by rewards from other people |
Recognised by rewards from God |
| Hard to use to glorify God |
Naturally glorifying God – we’re used by him |
| Hard to sustain – we run out of strength |
Sustained by God for as long as he provides for us |
The challenge of God-centred service is that it conflicts with many of our instinctive ideas about charity and “worthy” causes, including what we do, how we do it and how we are to be seen in the service of others. In fact, Jesus’ advice is that it can be best not to be seen serving, if that were to draw praise to ourselves (Matthew 6:1-3). We are to show integrity in public in order to make the church’s teaching about God attractive (Titus 2:10), and we are to get on with serving as God directs us, but we are not to seek or accept praise or glory for our service.
How do we re-direct praise to God among people who do not know God? One way is to have a simple, honest answer ready for people who ask why you choose to serve them, for example – “I did it to show God’s love in a practical way.” We don’t need to debate the reality of God if we’re showing it.
This wraps up our four weeks of study based on "Mission to Work". We are to serve, live and work for God, and obey God’s command to serve others, on God’s terms, not our own. This fits with what we have studied over the past four weeks:
- God made us to work and find satisfaction in our work from him
- We belong to God, put him first and are given spiritual gifts to use in his service
- We sacrifice ourselves in order to know God’s will and how to use those gifts
- We serve God and other people in God’s way, so that God’s love will be recognised by all
To consider and pray throughout today
- What is my main motivation for serving? How much am I giving God the credit?
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Bible Thoughts 
