SERVE STRONG

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Following on from the message of Romans 12:1-2, we hear a call for all who are included in Christ to see that the Lord desires that his people exercise their faith by choosing to serve in their areas of strength and passion. In this next teaching, the believer in Christ is challenged to get up and get to work in the name of Jesus. 

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: 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. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

(Romans 12:3-8 NIV11)

Humility

As we consider what it means to use our talents and gifts in service of the Lord, we must begin with the truth about what we bring to the table. We are all sinners saved by grace. Whatever good we find in our hearts and minds we must confess that we are not the true sources of these blessings. 

In humility, we must see that we are not the giver of all good things. Instead, we receive the gifts of the Spirit freely, and so we must also give them away just as freely.

Part of the Body

None of us stand alone as followers of Jesus. It is impossible for any one of us to live as a disconnected follower of Christ. All are included in the family of faith, in the Body of Christ. 

We need the people of God’s family and the family of God needs us. 

Gifts

Please let be caution you to pause and reflect on what follows before you grab onto one of the named gifts in this passage and assume that this is your fixed spiritual gift from God, never to change, to the exclusion of all others. 

Let’s look at this collection of named gifts of grace and see how each one of these gifts can and should be a part of our journey of faith with Jesus. 

Prophesying

One of the more annoying things about Bible translators is their constant refusal to translate certain words from Greek into English. Prophecy is just one example of a Greek word being presented into the English lexicon without supplying its meaning in some capacity. 

The term used here is generally used to describe the sharing of some message that originated with the Lord and that has been given to one of God’s people to be shared for the benefit of another. 

The biblical truth is that we are all called by God to speak as directed by the Holy Spirit. If the Lord moves you to share a message you received from his word to another person in your life, you are exercising the gift of “prophecy.”

By assuming that this gift is only for special servants of God, we rob others around us of the blessing of hearing God’s truth given at the right time and in the right way. 

Serving

We are all called by God to minister to one another, to serve one another, to be a blessing to the people God places into our lives. This gift and calling are not exclusive to one kind of believer. All of God’s children are called to serve Jesus by serving his people. 

Teaching

Some will say, this is not for me. I cannot teach. Hmmmm. Let’s examine that idea. 

So if you learn God’s truth by reading his word, led by the work of the Spirit, and you share this newly gained wisdom with a friend or loved one, is this not teaching? 

Sure, there are some in the church that have a passion for teaching in a large format, to the whole church, but this does not mean that you are not also called to teach your children, your family, and your friends. 

Encouragement

I bet you know what I am about to say. 

Are you really going to say that this is not something that the Lord desires you to give to those he places into your life? This is a work of the Spirit that comes through all whose hearts are filled with the love of God. 

Maybe you need to be encouraged to allow the Lord to use you as an encourager. There is simply no way you are somehow not called to give encouragement in the name of Jesus. 

Giving

Again, all believers in Christ are called to be generous givers. 

We are all called to give sacrificially and to use the wealth of this world to build up and promote the church of Jesus Christ and to further the mission of the kingdom of God. The Lord will move you to give. Embrace this calling and reap the benefits of becoming an openhanded and generous person. 

Leadership 

There are some who are trained to provide organizational leadership, or who have a greater aptitude for the work that comes with setting vision and giving direction for nations or groups of likeminded people. 

But this does not mean that all other believers in Christ are to live their lives as followers only. 

We are called to lead our families, our communities, and our churches. It is the heart of God that his people stand out as people of integrity and wisdom. The Spirit of God makes all believers into role models and leaders.

Mercy

I bet you can complete this thought. If we have been given mercy by Christ, we must be willing to give mercy to others. If we have received the love of God, this love must fill us to the point that it overflows from us and impacts those around us. 

Mercy is not an option for those who are covered by the blood of Jesus. 

Cheerfully

This is the point for me. 

•  We are to serve the Lord with the passions, talents, resources, abilities, opportunities, and dreams that the Lord has placed into our lives. 
•  Whatever you are called to do in the name of Jesus, whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to be about in your day, do it cheerfully.
•  Smile, you are serving Jesus!

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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