Serving

God intended that the Christian life should be dynamic, not static. We should sit under the teaching of the Word of God, understand and apply it's meaning and implications, and serve God and our fellow believers. The spirit of God has given us spiritual gifts, but those are worthless unless they are put to use in the service of God and his church.

Paul often uses the figure of the human body to show the dependence of the members of the body upon one another and the importance of each member serving the other (Rom. 12:4,5; 1 Cor. 12: 12-31). While some members of the body have prominent places of service than others, all are equally important. The worst thing that can happen to the human body is for one of it's members to become nonfunctioning. Paralysis, sickness, deterioration, and sometimes death occur when a body member ceases to serve the other members of the body in the particular way that God intended.

To maintain strength, health, and vitality, every member of the body must function and serve all the other members of the body. This is also true of the spiritual or new life. We will grow in the new life, become strong, and maintain good spiritual health as we use the talents and abilities that God has given us to meet the needs of the other members of the body.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8). There is no better indicator of growth in Christ than in the area of giving of one self. The attitude one should have in giving-it should be cheerful. When giving is cheerful, it will also be generous.