Service
By Jill Newman
Are You a River or a Reservoir?
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” 1 Timothy 4:14a
You might be thinking, how in the world is serving a spiritual discipline? As Nate mentioned at the beginning of this series, spiritual disciplines are relational, things we do regularly to know God better.
So, how does serving grow our relationship with Him?
I’m glad you asked! God has given each of us gifts and talents for serving others and to bring Him glory. And He is a generous Giver, giving each of us many different talents. Some of these are spiritual gifts like prophecy, teaching, exhortation, a word of knowledge, speaking in other languages, or leadership. Other gifts might be creative, musical, artistic, or athletic. Still other gifts include hospitality, generous giving, and encouraging others. And there are many more!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, each of the three servants are given a certain measure of money that they are encouraged to invest and grow. Two of them invest well, but one decides to bury his talent in order to hide it for the master’s return. Upon his return, the master is so displeased with the unfaithful servant that he takes away his only talent and gives it to the one of the faithful servants.
I like to think of the lesson in this parable as the difference between a river and a reservoir. A river flows outward, enriching everything it passes with life-giving water for drinking, crops or even power. A reservoir, on the other hand, stores up water for itself, saving it up for some future need. It is full of that same life-giving gift of water, but the reservoir doesn’t allow the water to flow outward. In the same way, storing up our gifts and never using them is like a reservoir hoarding water when there are needs downstream. Likewise, just keeping our talents for ourselves and our own glory doesn’t allow those gifts to benefit others. It’s our choice to be a river sharing God’s gifts to us with the world, or a reservoir, holding tight to those gifts for ourselves.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
What if my gift is not developed enough to serve others yet? Do I still have to serve?
There may be times when you are learning something new, like how to play the guitar, where serving with that gift is not yet an option. Obviously, you aren’t going to be the lead guitarist on your worship team after your first lesson. However, just because you can’t serve yet doesn’t mean you don’t have a responsibility to serve! The Lord gives us lots of ways to serve others, talented or not. It doesn’t take any special skill, for example, to stack chairs, wash dishes, or ask a new student to sit next to you at youth group.
Also, serving doesn’t just have to be in a church setting, although that’s always a great place to practice and use our gifts. If you play the guitar you could serve on the worship team at church, but you could also play for the patients in a nursing home, at your grandma’s 80th birthday party or around the campfire with a group of good friends! Anything you do as a true expression of worship to God, for His glory, is an act of service that honors Him.
It’s important to remember that we weren’t designed by God to contain the glory meant only for Him. We were made to pass it on to Him.
“Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1
You may have some amazing gifts and talents. But not one of them is something you can take credit for. God gives us gifts and talents to be used for His Kingdom. Even if you’ve worked hard to master your talent, it is the Lord who gives you the self-control, strength and ability to learn and develop that talent. In other words, all the glory goes to the Lord. He gets all the credit. We have no reason to boast about anything.
We can look at the lives of many famous movie stars, musicians or sports figures who believed they had no one to be grateful to for their talent. They pridefully store up all the praise and accolades for themselves instead of being grateful to God, which frequently leads to anxiety, depression, addiction and the eventual destruction of their lives.
“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3b
So, how can you respond when someone praises you for your talent?
Do you reject it and deny your gift? Many people, in an effort to be humble do just that. However, when someone compliments you on a particular gift or talent, it is the perfect opportunity to point them to Jesus! After all, God is the great Gift-giver, right? Let them know where your gift comes from, how you have worked hard with the Holy Spirit to develop it, and give God the praise. In other words, accept the compliment, but pass on the glory!
But, what if I’m always serving and no one ever notices it?
Oftentimes, our serving is invisible to others. No one sees it at all. It’s important to remember that even though others don’t see your service or sacrifice, the Lord always does! So, thank Him for His good gifts and the opportunity to serve His Kingdom. And remember that He always sees you! In the words of Tim Keller, “Servanthood begins where gratitude and applause end.”
When we remember to be grateful for God’s gifts, it reminds us that anything good in us is from Him. And, as we serve others, we naturally draw closer to Jesus as we pray daily for His wisdom and guidance in using those gifts for His glory.
You can be a river or a reservoir. Which one will you choose?
REFLECTION
Read Matthew 25:14-30.
What gifts has God given you? (If you are having trouble figuring out what those gifts are, ask your friends, parents, and mentors to point out the gifts they see in you.)
What are some new ways to serve that include the talents you’ve been given?
What are some other ways you could serve that don’t involve your gifts?
How can you draw closer to Jesus in the process of serving others?