Daily Reading for Thursday, Feb. 7: Serving

“4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:5

Yesterday, we discussed the story of Martha and Mary. The cause for Martha’s frustration was the fact that Mary was not serving as Martha expected her to. In the church, there can sometimes be expectations that we are to serve in one manner or another. Yet, this verse reminds us that this expectation is really counter-productive. Have you ever heard the phrase, “If everyone would just (fill in the blank).”? I know I’ve even uttered it a time or two. But the truth is that not everyone will serve as you expect them to, because God places different gifts, different passions, and different kinds of service into each and every one of us. So we must not be discouraged or offended if not “everyone” does what our passion dictates we do. We must simply follow the Lord, serve Him as He desires, and thank Him for the diversity of His body.