1 Peter 4:10 – 11 “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
“Hey, Joe! Did you meet all the specifications on that job you just finished?”
“Well, not exactly, but it’s close enough for government work.”
I heard this exchange years ago, and at the time it seemed funny. But decades later, having run two different bush hospitals in northern Ghana, having spent my career operating on trusting patients, I don’t find this phrase funny at all!
Ask any supervisor and he or she will tell you that workers who can be trusted to carry out tasks completely and graciously are worth their price in rubies. Far more common are those who, like “Joe” in the above exchange, are just doing what they have to do so that things will look good and their bosses won’t bother them. One pediatric surgeon whom I knew had a great poster in his office comparing surgery to flying or to sailing. The idea was that the requirements for performing surgery properly were as rigorous as those for flying or for sailing and failure to meet these requirements would result in disaster.
Peter was a working man, a fisherman who knew hard workers and slackers when he saw them. Throughout this epistle, Peter is trying to get Christians to understand that once you choose to follow Jesus, you are not living for yourself any more and that everything must change. If those around you don’t see any difference between the pagans and you, what’s the point in their giving up their sins? So what should be our motivation?
The key phrase here is this: as good stewards of the manifold grace of God…
In those days, every household had a number of servants, over whom was a steward who ran the household and kept track of all supplies. It was the responsibility of the steward to make sure everyone did their work properly, that the household owner was not cheated, and that things ran smoothly, no matter what the challenges. And in a close – knit society, there were no secrets. Everybody knew the good stewards from the bad ones, respecting the good ones and scorning the bad ones.
Peter is advising us that God has already extended His grace by sending Jesus to die for our sins. We are all sinners, and none of us can do anything good enough to earn our way into heaven. It is only because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have the hope of eternal life, if we will believe in him and follow him. We therefore should respond by conducting our selves in such a way that people will give glory to the God whom we claim to serve. We are to be gracious in speech and to serve others with enthusiasm.
Is such service easy? Is it easy to speak graciously? Are you kidding? Anybody who has begun to follow Christ can tell you that they are tempted endlessly to snap out a sharp retort or to slack off when things get tough or they are tired. And if you are only working for yourself, there is really no much to keep you from behaving badly. But Christians are not living for themselves but for God, and everything we do must reflect God’s glory in some small way.
“Wow!” you say, “that’s impossible!” In our own strength, absolutely! But God gives his children the strength and the courage to do what we cannot do ourselves. And because Jesus has the power and the glory forever, he can give power to his followers to do what would be impossible for them in their own strength.
PRAYER: Father God, life is hard! We feel stifled and frustrated and are so afraid that we are failing. But you are our God and you have promised to help us and to give us strength. We thank you that you are a good Father who sees when his children are trying and who helps them in their time of need. Lord, let our words and our service glorify you! In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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