Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will

receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

If you have ever watched Sports Center, then you’ve probably seen the Top 10 plays from some

incredible athletes. Players that spend countless hours working to shine for the big moment at the end

of the game and are in the spotlight of Sports Center… for about 15 seconds, then it is on to the next

athlete, and so on.

This is the exhausting pattern of living to please the world. As a student athlete, I have struggled with

working in the classroom and on the course to please my parents, teachers, and coaches. However, this

path of pride only leads to emptiness and pressure. Success defined by the world is so fleeting and is

precisely why Paul encourages us in Colossians 3 to live for God and not for people. When we use our

gifts to serve God and glorify Him, he does so much more through us than we could imagine. The

acronym SERVE describes how we can better steward our blessings from God and point others to Him.

S- Surrender control. When we recognize that our gifts and abilities are blessings from God, we can

freely let him use them for his purpose. (James 1:17)

E- Empty our own self interests. God wants 100% of our hearts in all that we do. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

R- Rest in God’s promises. No matter what the results or outcome may be, we can find peace that God

has a perfect plan. (Jeremiah 29:11)

V- Value relationships. Pastor Ron has emphasized that we all need a Paul and a Barnabas. We need

mentors that can encourage us and also challenge us to disciple others on the journey God has for us.

E- Eternal impact. When we stand before our heavenly Father, I believe there are two questions He will

ask, “What did you do with my Son Jesus; and what did you do with the time, talents, and treasure I

gave you?” The ultimate reward for following Jesus and stewarding our gifts is eternity with our

heavenly Father.



Celebrating Easter this past week has reminded us that Jesus came to serve and not to be served. As we

follow in our Savior’s example, what is one way you can use your gifts to show His love to someone else

this week?

By C.A. Carter

C.A. is a senior at LCA and will be going to UK in the fall. She has been at Immanuel for two years and is

the daughter of Jimmy and Carrie Carter.