God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10)
I have worked and served with many gifted people. When people are mission-minded, there is a spirit of collaboration. When there is true collaboration, people bring their gifts, lives are changed and God is pleased.
I was invited by a colleague and friend to attend a meeting with a group of spiritual leaders whose sole purpose is to alleviate suffering and bring hope to the people Jesus talks about in Matthew 25: the hungry, the naked, the orphans. Jesus said when we visit and care for “the least of these,” it is like visiting and caring for him.
This group of collaborators wanted to pool resources to bring the hope of Jesus to both children and adults through music, prayer, inspiring booklets, movies, Bible curriculums and comedy. We heard testimonies of people whose lives have been transformed because others were willing to share their gifts.
When I left the meeting to return home, I couldn’t help but cry out to God and ask him to show me how prayer can serve others in a greater way. My prayer point is for all of us to pray and ask God to give us the spirit of collaboration—that is, to see how your gift can be used to do more with others than you can do alone. Also ask God to help you get over the fear of not being recognized individually and be content knowing that you have contributed to the whole. Are you up for the challenge?
God bless you!
