For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. | Galatians 5:13–15
This is the fourth of four principles of simple faithfulness that Peter offers to us in 1 Peter 4:7-11. Up to this point Peter has called us to: be self-controlled, love earnestly, and show hospitality. As we finish up this section (and this blog series), we are going to look at a principle that relates to each of these: serve one another.
One of the main reasons to be self-controlled and sober-minded is so that we are prepared for the opportunities that God provides for us to serve one another.
One of the aspects that sets Christian love apart from earthly love is that rather than being based on a feeling or a transaction it is primarily focused on serving one another.
One of the ways that we invite others in and show hospitality is in the act of serving on another.
You can see how this final principle connects with and is part of the other three, but Peter’s words to us here also add another layer to what it means to serve one another. He puts it this way: as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Peter makes it clear that whatever God calls us to do is built out of who he has prepared us to be. God is the giver of all good gifts and recognizing the gifts that He has placed in us is key to discovering what He has called us to do. The phrase that Peter uses to describe this is: God’s varied grace. There are two parts of this that are helpful to not only recognizing our own calling, but helping us to work with others in community.
The first thing that we learn from the idea of God’s varied grace is that grace is not given out equally. Since grace is ‘unmerited favor’ which no one deserves, God is not obligated to give the same amount to each person. Some people will be gifted with more and others with less. Paul describes this in Ephesians 4:
But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. | 7
This is just as Paul is leading into a section about how God has given:
the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. | Ephesians 4:11–12
His point here is that these leaders are a gift to the church. God has equipped them for the sake of serving others.
They have been given so that they can give. Jesus makes this clear to his disciples when He says:
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. | Luke 12:48b
While in God’s varied grace, some people receive a greater gifting, this comes with more responsibility. God varies these allotments in order to accomplish His work. Same is true for the types of gifts given. This is the second thing we learn from the idea of God’s varied grace: it is truly varied. People are given very different gifts in order to accomplish specific parts of God’s plan. The metaphor that the Bible famously uses to describe this is the human body, used in both 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, where it states:
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith. | Romans 12:4–6
In both of these Paul goes on to encourage the church not to be jealous or prideful in regards to how God has chosen to distribute gifts. It also means that not everyone is going to have the same responsibility in any given situation. There is not A Christian response to a great deal of political and cultural moments. Not only in action. We will not agree over many aspects of what is going on around us or how to fix it, specifically because God has gifted us differently. Someone who is more emphatic is going to be bent toward justice. Someone who is analytical may read things through an economic lens. Others may be able to see how decisions have secondary effects and want to limit those. All of these perspectives come from how God has equipped them to experience the world.
This is more than just ‘people are different,’ because this is about service. In order for those differences to be of benefit to one another, we actually have to live out our differences. It isn’t just enough to have diversity, but a varied grace that works together toward the glory of God. Our service is an act of worship to God. As soon is it becomes about proving something or accomplishing something or defeating our enemies, it loses its transforming beauty. If we are willing to use what God has given us, to serve others, for His glory, our lives become the means by which God blesses the world with His varied grace. Serving one another is not primarily about doing something for someone else, but allowing the part of God’s goodness that He equipped you to share, to be brought into His creation.
Just like the human body, every part doing what it is equipped for is what allows the whole to function in a healthy way.