1 Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Romans 15:14-19
I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Devotion
Peter is clearly communicating that our verbal testimony and our service for God should be done in such a way that God may get the glory through Jesus Christ. Whatever we say and whatever we do should point to Jesus and bring glory to the Father. Some might argue that our ultimate goal in life is to glorify God, our Creator!
The Apostle Paul surely felt this way. In Romans chapter fifteen, Paul speaks concerning his service to God as a missionary to the Gentiles. He also speaks of his call to proclaim the Gospel of God “from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.” There is no personal assumption in this. Paul is a servant of Christ Jesus and is doing His will. This is important to see. There is one thing that should never characterize a servant of God, and that is pride. As disciples of Christ, we should never become prideful, but rather take the position that we are merely serving the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the One in charge!
In essence, Paul is saying, “I will not take credit for the work of God that is being done by others.” Paul will only speak of those things which Christ did through him. In the end, Paul wanted to glorify Christ in His service to God. He wanted Christ to be glorified in his ministry and his life. The word glorify means “to magnify, extol, ascribe honor or praise.” Paul recognized that his ministry was a reflection of what Christ was doing through him. Therefore, he believed that Christ would be “magnified” through his service. Through Paul’s preaching, Jesus would be made “bigger than life” to the Gentiles. Paul would never take credit for his ministry accomplishments. Instead, he would defer any recognition to Jesus.
As we surrender our will and our ways to God, God will accomplish great things through us. Let us not forget to give credit where credit is due. In the end, our lives ought to bring glory to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! This was true for Peter, for Paul, and for us.
Questions to Ponder:
Is your life glorifying God and magnifying Jesus? Do you truly see yourself as a humble servant of the Lamb of God? Does pride ever get in the way of your service for God? Is God glorified in your verbal testimony and your service for Him?
Prayer Points
- Adore the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, risen King and Lord, Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Ancient of days, who did not come to be served but to serve.
- Take some time to tremble at His Word, as the reality sinks in that the Creator of heaven and earth lowered Himself, became a man, dwelt among us, was the perfect spotless Lamb that was rejected, crucified, spat on, beaten, rejected, and even abandoned by those close to Him. And He did it all for agape love, so that we may accept Him and be with Him for all of eternity in this age and into the next age. Meditate on His goodness and everlasting kindness and love.
- Invite the Holy Spirit to remind you of any unconfessed sin. Ask Him to bring to your remembrance or to the forefront of your mind and heart any offensive ways toward Him and others. Forgive those who have wounded you. Tell the Lord you are sorry for (fill in the blank). Accept His love of forgiveness.
- Ask the Lord of heaven and earth to grant you and His Bride/Church the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen your inner man. That Christ would dwell in the center of your heart, and that you and all the saints would know the depth, length, and height of His love—going past comprehension and taking hold of it. Pray we all will be radiant, reflecting our Father’s heart in all we say and do.
Suggested Prayer
Servant of all, I bow down and worship You as King of my life. Lord God, You are altogether worthy, perfect, and holy. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Oh God of Jacob, I love You, and I confess You are my all-in-all. As my attention is set on You, Abba, as my eyes are fixed on things above, where You are, I ask that You would demolish pride in me and in your people. Father, deliver us from greed, selfishness, and wanting to be served. Lord, change and transform us as we renew our minds while in Your Word. Help us to be servants. Help us to have Your thoughts. Grant us deep, genuine compassion for each other and those far from You. We are Your servants, Lord God. Hear this prayer and move on our behalf as we invite You into every area of our lives. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done inside of each of us as it is in heaven. I ask in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen.