Scripture
Living for God
1So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.[1] 2You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
4Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead[2]—so although they were destined to die like all people,[3] they now live forever with God in the Spirit.[4]
7The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11Do 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.
Translation notes (4)
- 4:1 Or For the one [or One] who has suffered physically has finished with sin.
- 4:6a Greek preached even to the dead.
- 4:6b Or so although people had judged them worthy of death.
- 4:6c Or in spirit.
"Please be with me in all that I do."
Whenever people tell me that they are having trouble discovering what God wants for them to do, I always ask two questions: What are you good at? What are you passionate about? As they answer these questions, I tell them to look to those two things, their skills and their passions, in an effort to discover God's plan for them. After all, God did not give them skills and passions by mistake. He did not give them these skills and passions so that they would never be used. On the contrary, these gifts that we have and the things we are passionate about are clues to point us to our calling in life. When we find the place where our skills and passions meet, we are living a lifestyle of significance.
In Jabez's prayer, which we have been studying this week, it is clear that he wanted to live a life of significance. He wanted to have a life of impact. As he prayed, he asked the Lord, "Please be with me in all that I do" (1 Chronicles 4:10c). For Jabez, the Lord being with him was critical to living a life of significance and impact. It is also critical for us.
In an effort to help us live lives of significance today, God gives each one of us specific gifts and talents that we can use to serve others and have a maximum impact. He also gives us passions that match our gifts. When we combine our gifts and passions, we become a force set up for maximum, significant impact. If you are wondering today how you might be able to live a significant life for the Lord, look at where your passions and abilities collide. In the words of Peter in 1 Peter 4:10-11, "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."
Moving Toward Action
What skills has God gifted you with? What things come naturally to you that are difficult for many others? What are you passionate about? All of these things are there to guide you toward the calling God has given you. Think through these gifts and passions today, and ask others what they think you are naturally gifted at and passionate about. After you identify these skills and passions, start to think about places where you can serve where your skills and passions meet.
Going Deeper
Read 1 Peter 4:1-11 (NLT)
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