Opening Prayer: Almighty Father above, how can we, Your humble servants, ever thank You for the blessings You've bestowed upon us? Countless gifts You have showered us in, pouring out Your grace upon us. And what do You ask in return? Nothing but our love. Father, there is nothing we can do that is close to being enough to show our gratitude for You. It is our prayer that You sit with us as we worship You here, softening our hearts so as to allow us to accept Your love and give love in return. Thank for giving so much and asking so little, Lord. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.
"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10 (NKJ)
Christ came down from the perfect Heavens to live a life of pain and die a slow death. Why did He sacrifice so much for a people that lusted His blood? Was He masochistic? I'm edging towards a strong negative on that one. Then what? People don't die for their enemies, do they? That's what this world has taught us. It has hardened us into knowing that we either save ourselves, or die.
But Christ didn't follow the world, now did He? Those that hated Him, He still loved. God is not petty like mankind, He does not pick and choose who is worthy of His love. God loves us all. It is easy for us to say that we love someone who is righteous, but God loves the wicked more than we love the righteous. His ability to love is beyond our comprehension! He sent His only Son to earth to die for SINNERS. Why would He do that for any reason but that He loves us, despite our filthy appearance?
With that said, how can we repay Him? If we are being honest, there is no way we can pay God the same amount He has loaned us. Christ gave a loan He knew we'd never be able to repay. He did this out of love and all He asked in return is that we love Him. If you love Him, you'll keep His commandments (John 14:15 NKJ). In addition to dying for us, God gives each and every one of us a gift. These gifts are to be used to witness to our fellow man. What good is a gift if it goes unused? Or equally bad, a gift used for something other than its intended purpose!
It isn't unoften I hear people complaining that they have not found their 'niche' in life. They claim they don't have a God-given gift to benefit from. How can they spread the gospel if they have no specialty? They can't publicly speak, they have no talent for writing, no ability to heal. Remember, each one of us has been given a gift from God (1 Peter 4:10). Some of us take a bit longer to find it, sure, but God's timing is always perfect. We must have faith that He will follow through for us, even if it doesn't happen right away or right when we think it should (Hebrews 11:6). But when He does shine true to His word, that gift is the property of God. He may be letting us borrow it, but it is to glorify Him, not ourselves. Everything is His, including our very lives.
So, Brothers and Sisters, what do you say? We going to return to God what is rightfully His? Who's with me?
Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have so bountifully provided for us and only asked that we love You in return. There is no possible way we could ever fully thank You, and yet you continue to bless us. Thank you, Lord, for giving us the necessary means to survive this sin-filled world. Without Your constant grace, we'd fall short of You, High Father. It is by Your blessings we have hope for the coming day. What we ask of You now, Lord, is that You continue to walk with us in the coming week. If we have not yet uncovered our gifts, we pray you present them soon, in Your perfect timing. And we also pray, Father, that every action, every word, every thought, is in Your honor. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.
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