Day 22: The Simplicity of Service

Week 4, Monday, January 25

Text: Romans 12:6
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”

Thought for the day:
When I think about all the good things that a person can do, I get a little overwhelmed. We have so many possible ways to volunteer our time and resources. We have opportunities to serve lunch at school, deliver food baskets in the evening, read to children, rake leaves for senior citizens, teach Sunday School, serve on a church committee, write letters to prisoners, give money to 100 different organizations, invite our neighbor to church, build a home….. The list could go on indefinitely.

When God calls us to serve, He doesn’t tell us that we have to do every good thing that we can possibly do. He tells us to use our gifts. God has a lot of people who are working to service Him. This means that each person can use his or her individual gift to serve God, without feeling guilty about other opportunities. In Romans 12, the Bible describes the church as a group of people who should focus on using their gifts.

As we begin to think about service this week, don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all of the possible service opportunities. Rather, pray that God will reveal your gifts, and give you wisdom to discern where you can best offer those gifts in service.

Journal/Exercise:
Spend some time in prayer. Pray for someone you know who is experiencing a difficult time in his or her life. Write down the name of that person in your journal. After you write down that person’s name, write down one way that you can encourage that person today. It could be a very simple gesture such as writing a note or sending an email letting her know you prayed for her today. Make an effort to reach out to that person as a sacrifice of service for Christ’s sake.