Today's daily devotion

God’s Tools

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.—1 PETER 4:10 NASB

What a tremendous task we have to encourage others—especially the ones the Lord has entrusted to our care!

Older people are often susceptible to depression, thinking that their usefulness has passed and their contribution to the world has become limited. Perhaps they feel that God has put them on a shelf and they are no longer of any use even to Him.

But we have the privilege of encouraging those in our care—of helping them to appreciate and use the gifts God has given them. From our objective point of view, we can more readily see what those gifts are and help our loved ones to understand and employ them.

God has given each one of us something special to do for the kingdom. Both caregivers and care receivers can do any number of things to help others: intercede in prayer, offer a listening ear, call people on the phone, send cards, speak a cheering word, you name it. We can help others see their own gifts and encourage them to use them.

When people see their worth in the kingdom of God, they are much happier—and easier to care for. Today, let’s be God’s tools for this very important job.

Lord Jesus, help me to discern the needs of others, and help me to see their giftedness. Then, may I be able to encourage them to contribute to the body of Christ through that gift.

Adapted from

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