Topic: Proclaiming Jesus by Serving With Joy – Daily Devotional by Proverbs 31 Ministries 19 APRIL 2024
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Proclaiming Jesus by Serving With Joy
APRIL 19, 2024
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
My strong belief in serving others is a quality I learned from my mother.
When I was young, I remember a time my mother pulled up to a stoplight as I rode in the car with her, and I watched her give to a person standing beside the road. “This is my good deed for the day,” she said. Her example set an expectation to do good daily.
In September 2023, I finally got to take my mother to her home country, the Philippines, after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled her flight in February 2020. Over those three years, Mom experienced kidney failure and required dialysis, so we coordinated with healthcare providers for her to receive treatment during her long-awaited visit.
But after one of her treatments, Mom wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest instead of traveling with me to serve at a local church for the weekend.
Twelve hours after I left that morning, she still hadn’t gotten out of bed to eat and take her medicine. I wondered if I needed to return early since we had no family in that town who could help. But then I remembered the house manager, Joy, who had been so kind to us during our stay so far. I sent out a cry for help!
Within an hour, Joy came to my mom, cooked her fish and rice, and had her take her medicine. I didn’t want to inconvenience Joy by asking her to serve Mom again the next day, but I prayed for God to provide and committed not to worry.
Around noon, I received a message saying Joy had made my mom breakfast and lunch. To say I rejoiced was an understatement!
Joy’s service to my mother was a timely example of the scriptures taught at church that Sunday:
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11, NLT).
In ancient Israel, the gift of hospitality was highly valued. Christians were to be prepared to welcome guests, provide food and serve without complaining: “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9, NIV).
Similarly, Joy diligently used her spiritual gifts as she served my mom until I returned that evening. She did it with all her strength, and her joyful service gave God glory!
Friend, would you keep your eyes open and your heart ready to serve those around you, whether that be with your time, energy, possessions or finances? Your service might just be the answer to someone’s earnest prayer.Father, You have wisely given Your children various spiritual gifts so we can serve each other. Help us share Jesus with this world by serving others with joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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