Dispensers of God’s grace

Posted byoakhillcrossvillePosted inUncategorized
Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)
 
Our thought for today: “Dispensers of God’s grace”
 
Many years ago, I was in a workshop at a conference that was being led by pastor and author John Maxwell. John is well-known for his books on Christian leadership and how to apply Biblical principles of leadership in the secular workplace.
 
However, in this particular workshop the focus was on pastors and leadership in the church and John was speaking as a pastor to other pastors. At one point the conversation turned to the truth of Ephesians 4:11-12 and how important it is for leaders to be intentional about training and developing the people of the church to perform the necessary acts of ministry. It’s not the job of the pastor to do all the work that needs to be done in the church. It is the job of the pastor to train and equip the people to do all the work that needs to be done in the church. John Maxwell is a funny guy and he never misses an opportunity to cut-up, so in reference to Ephesians 4:11-12, and with tongue firmly placed in cheek, John declared, “I love it! My job is to get everyone else to do the work!”
 
But it is true and it is critical. As we have discussed in the previous two daily devotionals, an important part of our spiritual growth is to discover and develop our spiritual gifts, our skills, and our abilities, and to then apply them in acts of ministry performed for the benefit of others. God’s mercy, grace, comfort, and love flows to those who need it through the acts of His people.
 
We are dispensers of God’s grace. It’s through us that God answers the prayers and meets the needs of others. It is through us that God ministers to others. And although that certainly is for their benefit, it is also for ours. As we learn how to be dispensers of God’s grace, we ourselves experience spiritual growth. It’s through this process of serving others that God grows us. As author Alan Fadling observed, “God’s focus is on developing people more than getting jobs done.” God could accomplish the acts of ministry without us if He wanted to. But doing it through us is part of our growth and development.
 
An important part of church life involves discovering and developing our ministry abilities so that each of us can then be dispensers of God’s grace to others.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim 
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
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