“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
1 Peter 4:8-10 (NRSV)
All have certain abilities and talents, no matter how small. When people see us engaged in these activities that highlight these talents, they take notice and focus their attention on the action. These talents are gifts given to us by our Creator, for they were knit into the tapestry of our being. Peter says that in loving others through service, we are called to use our gifts to promote the love of God. However, this does not necessarily mean that we all must evangelize door-to-door, asking for everyone to repent and accept Jesus. We are, instead, called to use our talents to reach out to others in love and service, allowing them to see the light of Christ in us. This may mean singing as a cantor in your church, teaching a religious education course or Sunday school, working on site with Habitat for Humanity, knitting caps for homeless babies, visiting hospitalized patients to talk or just be a presence, smiling at everyone you see and meet throughout the day, telling you family that you love them and doing something for them to show that love. There are innumerable ways to use God’s gift for the service of others. We must first recognize that our talents are not our own, for they are gifts given by God to which we are the stewards. As in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), for example, God expects us to make sound investments, employing His gifts for the love of others.
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