Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Using Our Talents" for Monday, 20 October 2014 - Read 1 Peter 4:7-11

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Using Our Talents" for Monday, 20 October 2014 - Read 1 Peter 4:7-11 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.(1 Peter 4:10 (NRSV))
My friend told me about an incident from her youth. One day someone brought her a piece of beautiful material from abroad — at a time when a shortage in our country made it impossible to find such cloth for sale. My friend immediately sewed herself a fashionable dress. But she was reluctant to wear it because she felt that such a dress would make her stand out too much. Time passed. She moved the dress from shelf to shelf but never wore it. Hidden from people’s eyes for many years, it never served its owner.
This story reminded me of the biblical parable about the talents. One man’s talent was not put to good use and brought no benefit to its owner.(See Matt. 25:14-30.)The same is true of our talents, gifts, and potential. If we save up our talents and put them away for future possibilities, they are useless — however precious and valuable they may be. Instead, when we use our talents, God multiplies their benefit — to us and to those we seek to serve.
The Author: Irina Ivanova (Pskov, Russia)
Thought for the Day: Our talents are meant to be used to serve our neighbors.
Prayer: Dear Lord, you have generously blessed each of us with a special gift or talent. Help us to put our talents to use in serving you and the world. Amen.
Prayer focus: Those seeking ways to serve
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