One Anothering Well - You Cannot Give What You Do Not Have

Some News You Can Use from Shelby Center

When you think of good hospitality do you not also think of the service received? Good food or a good night’s rest is not enough if “the service was terrible”, right?!

The quality of our experience is often determined by the attitude and aptitude, by how our host(s) execute their role and responsibility.

As Christians we welcome others into the family of God with an inviting display of hospitality and compassionate care.

To understand our role as Christians we must understand our responsibilities as servants, not masters. Believers are gracious givers of God’s care to others in need.

People should benefit from and be blessed by the experience of encountering us. Think of it this way: When I go to the restaurant, I’m there to serve the waitress, improve her day, and leave a favorable impression of Christianity.

I am a steward of the grace God has gifted to me and am responsible to share it in many ways.

Do you fret or feel inadequate about what to give or do when opportunities to meet the needs of others arise? Take comfort. You already have what God expects you to give (From 1 Pet. 4:7-11):

Some of the greatest experiences I’ve had as a recipient of healthy relational hospitality or care have not been defined by the quality of the food or the sleeping arrangements.

They’ve been shaped by the willingness of others to share no more than what they already had graciously and enthusiastically.

1. For A Gift to Have Value It Must Be Given (10).

•God has gifted every believer with abilities that must become availabilities. Grace gifts are spiritual endowments and empowerments that God gives each believer to edify, encourage, engage, and remain effective in ministry while living in unity, fervent charity, and growing in maturity.

•When faced with the question, “How or with what do I serve given the limited resources I have?”, the answer may be easier than you think.

God asked doubting Moses, “What is that in thine hand?” To the disciples Jesus said, “Give ye them to eat.” God does ministry with what is made available!

•“Little is much when God is in it”! In other words, you don’t have to look very far for opportunities to minister to others, and you likely have more abilities and resources within reach than you think.

Our Master has told us to serve, as stewards -- out of His abundant resources (1 Cor. 4:7, 12:7, 11).

2. For A Church to Have Vitality It Must Be Serving (11)

•We don’t need multitudes of programs and complex endeavors to be a vibrant ministry. We only need willing servants giving what abilities and resources they already have, to people already within reach.

•Back to God’s question: What is that in thine hand? When we truly comprehend that we cannot give what we do not have, we can rest in the joy that God does not expect us to give more than what He supplies.

Your God given grace gifts are the mouthpiece and ministry to manifest His grace and glory.

•You’ll never feel more alive and abounding than when you make available the abilities and resources God has entrusted to you.

Our collective gifts unleashed in ministry together increase the potential for God’s life-giving grace to reach others in need and to give God (and Christianity) a good name.
 
Your desire to glorify Jesus Christ is not an issue of ability or capacity, it is a matter of availability and fidelity. Take whatever you don’t think is enough, yield it to God, and watch what He does with it.

You cannot give what you do not have, but you have been given more than enough when you open your hand.

Relational health and spiritual wellbeing are greatly enhanced when we choose to minister one to another, and with one another in compelling community, by responsibly using the resources and abilities we already have.

We become more effective in ministry when we enrich others with the gifts God has entrusted to us. Little is much when God is in it.

Friend, what is that in thine hand? How will you make it available to God?

Sign up to receive these blog posts weekly in your email box

Contact

Recent

Archive

Categories

no categories

Tags

1 Chronicles 28:2 1 Chronicles 29:17 1 Cor. 15:33 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 1 Corinthians 11:18-23 1 Corinthians 12:11 1 Corinthians 12:7 1 Corinthians 13:11 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 1 Corinthians 16:14-18 1 Corinthians 1:1-11 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 1 Corinthians 1:25-31 1 Corinthians 1:2 1 Corinthians 1:9-10 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 1 Corinthians 2:2 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 1 Corinthians 4:14-21 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 1 Corinthians 4:7 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 1 Corinthians 5:5 1 Corinthians 5:6-10 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 1 John 1:3-7 1 John 1:6-2:2 1 John 1:9 1 John 2:12-14 1 John 2:3-6 1 John 2:7-8 1 John 3:10-19 1 John 3:11 1 John 3:14-16 1 John 3:20-24 1 John 4:13-21 1 John 4:1 1 John 4:7-13 1 John 5:1-5 1 Kings 19:1-8 1 Kings 22:48-49 1 Peter 3:10-12 1 Peter 3:18 1 Peter 4:1-2 1 Peter 4:7-10 1 Peter 4:7-11 1 Peter 5:1-12 1 Peter 5:1-4 1 Peter 5:10-12 1 Peter 5:5-7 1 Samuel 12:20-24 1 Samuel 30:6-8 1 Thessalonians 2:10-13 1 Thessalonians 2:18-19 1 Timothy 3:16 1saiah 55:6-10 2 Chr. 20:35-37 2 Chr. 3:1 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1 2 Corinthians 10:17 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 2 Corinthians 2:14 2 Corinthians 3:6 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Corinthians 5:21 2 Corinthians 7:1 2 John 5 2 Kings 20:16-19 2 Kings 6:1-7 2 Sam 24:18-25 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 2 Thessalonians 3:11-16 2 Timothy 2:19-26 2 Timothy 2:2 2 Timothy 3:16-17 2 Timothy 4:5-8 Abraham Accountability Acts 10:24 Acts 10:33 Acts 11:21-26 Acts 13:26-32 Acts 17:30-34 Acts 18:24-28 Acts 26:16-23 Acts 2:46 Acts 4:12 Acts 5:42 Acts 8:21-24 Acts 9:3-6 Affliction Alone Angels Awe Bible reading Bible study Bible Big Picture Boast Burdens Calvary Carnal Character Christian influence Christian Church Discipline Church growth Colossians 1:15-18 Colossians 1:18 Colossians 1:25-29 Colossians 2:1=15 Colossians 3:16 Comfort Conflict Conscience Consequences Credible life Decisions Deut 8:1-4 Deut. 6:4-14 Deut. 8:1-3 Discipleship Disciples Distressed Distress Ecclesiastes 7:29 Elderly Emotional Healing Emotions Encouragement Enemies Ephesians 1:17 Ephesians 1:3-8 Ephesians 2:1-10 Ephesians 2:11-19 Ephesians 2:8-10 Ephesians 3:1-6 Ephesians 3:14-21 Ephesians 4:1-7 Ephesians 4:11-16 Ephesians 4:15 Ephesians 4:30-32 Ephesians 4:3 Ephesians 4:8 Ephesians 5:1-14 Ephesians 5:1-2 Evangelism Exodus 16:18 Ezra 3:12 Fame Family Fear Feelings Finances Follower Fornication Friends Fulfillment Galatians 2:20-21 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 6:14 Galatians 6:7-8 Gen 11:3-8 Gen 22:1-19 Genesis 20:1-11 Genesis 2:15-17 Genesis 32:26 Genesis 35:1-4 Genesis 35:10-15 Genesis 3:1-13 Genesis 3:21 Genesis 9:18-29 Glory God's word God\'s word God\\\'s word Godhead God Gospel GrINO Guilt Healing Heart Heb 6:19 Heb. 10:24-25 Heb. 13:5-6 Heb. 2:10 Hebrews 11:1-6 Hebrews 11:17-19 Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews 12:1-3 Hebrews 13:11-15 Hebrews 13:15 Hebrews 4:12-13 Hebrews 4:15-16 Hebrews 5:11-14 Hebrews 5:7-8 Hebrews 5:8-9 Hebrews 6:1-2 Hope Identity Illumination Indulgence Inspiration Integrity Isaiah 26:3-5 Isaiah 43:1-5 Isaiah 46:5-13 Isaiah 59:1-2 Isaiah 6:1-8 Isaiah 9:6-7 Isolation Issues Jacob James 1:12 James 1:18-25 James 3:2 James 4:1-7 Jeremiah 10:23-24 Jeremiah 33:3 Jeremiah 9:23-24 Jeremiah Jesus Christ Jesus Job 1:20-22 Job 1 Job 23:10-17 Job 2 John 13:34-35 John 14:9 John 15:1-5 John 16:13-15 John 17:17 John 19:25-27 John 19:26 John 19:28 John 19:30 John 19:33-40 John 1:1-15 John 1:12-13 John 1:17 John 20:24-29 John 3:1-8 John 3:16-21 John 4:13-14 John 4:24 John 5:1-15 John 6:62-68 John 7:50-53 John 8:31-32 John 9:35-41 Jonah 1:12-3:3 Joshua 10:8-14 Joshua 1:7-9 Joshua 24:15 Jude 3-4 Know Grow Go Lamentations 3:21-26 Lamentations 3:40-41 Lamentations 3:57 Leadership Leaven Lee Strobel Logos Lordship Loss Luke 13:10-17 Luke 16:15 Luke 17:1-10 Luke 17:11-19 Luke 17:7-10 Luke 22:31-34 Luke 23:33-43 Luke 23:34 Luke 23:43 Luke 23:46 Luke 23:48-49 Luke 24:13-33 Luke 4:1-13 Luke 4:17-19 Luke 6:46 Luke 8:4-18 Luke 9:23-26 Mark 10:17-22 Mark 10:46-52 Mark 16:15 Mark 16:20 Mark 1:15 Mark 1:38-46 Mark 5:24-34 Mark 7:31-37 Mark 8:22-38 Mark 8:36-37 Mark 9:14-29 Matthew 11:25 Matthew 11:28-30 Matthew 14:29-31 Matthew 20:1-16 Matthew 27:46 Matthew 27:54 Matthew 4:23-24 Matthew 6:31-34 Matthew 6:33 Maturity Mercy Mind of Christ Mood Motives Mystery of Gospel Mystery of godliness Mystery Natural man Night Seasons Noah Numbers 22:20-35 Offenses Options Peter Philippians 1:20-21 Philippians 1:27-29 Philippians 1:6 Philippians 2:12-16 Philippians 2:3-11 Philippians 3:10-15 Philippians 3:13-14 Philippians 3:7-8 Philippians 4:13-19 Philippians 4:13 Philippians 4:18-20 Philippians 4:6-7 Philippians 4:9 Physical Well-being Pornography Prayer Problems Prophecy Proverbs 10:22 Proverbs 11:27 Proverbs 13:10 Proverbs 14:11-12 Proverbs 18:14 Proverbs 18:17 Proverbs 18:21 Proverbs 1:23 Proverbs 20:6 Proverbs 22:3 Proverbs 24:16 Proverbs 28:13 Proverbs 28:26 Proverbs 4:14-19 Proverbs 4:23 Proverbs 6:16-19 Psa. 56:9 Psalm 102:17 Psalm 107:10-12 Psalm 107:10-13 Psalm 107:17 Psalm 107:19-22 Psalm 107:20 Psalm 107:23-27 Psalm 107:23-28 Psalm 107:9-15 Psalm 116:1-9 Psalm 118:13-14 Psalm 118:8-9 Psalm 119:59 Psalm 119:67-71 Psalm 119:97-104 Psalm 139:23-24 Psalm 139:7-12 Psalm 17:15 Psalm 19:13-14 Psalm 1:1-6 Psalm 1 Psalm 24 Psalm 26:11 Psalm 2 Psalm 30:2 Psalm 32 Psalm 3 Psalm 40:1-5 Psalm 41:12 Psalm 46 Psalm 4 Psalm 51:10-13 Psalm 51:10 Psalm 51:4 Psalm 51:7 Psalm 51:9-17 Psalm 55:12-19 Psalm 55:16 Psalm 56:9 Psalm 5:1-12 Psalm 62:8 Psalm 66:16-19 Psalm 78:33-41 Questions Quitting Reassurance Relationship Religion Repentance Rest Revelation 16:1-11 Revelation 16:14 Revelation 19:11-16 Revelation 1:5-7 Revelation 22:17-20 Revelation 22:17 Revelation 2:10 Revelation 4:9-11 Revelation Romans 10:9-13 Romans 13:14 Romans 14:11-12 Romans 15:4 Romans 16:25-27 Romans 1:14-16 Romans 1:18-28 Romans 1:18-32 Romans 1:5 Romans 3:10 Romans 3:19-26 Romans 5:20-6:2 Romans 5:5 Running from God Sanctification Satan Scripture Security Self-will Sexual Immorality Sexual Sin Sex Shame Sin Spiritual development Spiritual empowerment Spiritual gifts Spiritually rigid Spiritual Stress Struggles Suffering Temptation Testimony Titus 1:15-16 Tough Love Trials Trouble Unity Usefulness Wealth Well-being Wholeness Wisdom Witness Word of God Word Your Story Rewritten acceptance addiction agony altar argument authority bad spirit baptism belonging blessed blessing calling care change choices clean heart commitment community compassion confrontation consistency contention criticizing cross-examination cross crowns crucified life crucifixion culture darkness deliverance desperation digital engagement discernment discouragement disillusionment division example excuses failure faithfulness faith fasting feeling helpless feeling stuck fellowship follow foolishness fools forgiveness friendliness friendship fruitfulness frustration giving gospel engagement grace grief hardship harmony hell hiding holiness home hospitality humility hurt idols in-person church influence joy judgment seat judgment laboring law light losses love marksmanship meditation membership mental/emotional health might ministry mission moving on needs one another overwhelmed pain paradise passover power praise pride priorities progress psalm 107:1-18 reconciliation recovery regret relational health relationships responsibility rewards riches rivalry running second chance self denial self evaluation self-righteousness servant service serving setbacks sleep solidarity songs spiritual apathy spiritual awakening spiritual blindness spiritual growth spiritual healing spiritual help spiritually rough stewardship storms strife substance abuse table fellowship tolerance toxic people troublemakers unbelief unity unleavened virtue walking by faith warning welcome wellness wise workmanship worry worship wounds