Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 4:7-11.
The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Peter reminds us we don’t know the time of Christ’s return and that we must always be ready. He teaches that through prayer, love and sharing with each other we can wait patiently for the day of the Lord to arrive. We are to go into the world using God’s gifts to help others.
Peter speaks of our spiritual gifts in the same way Paul does, that these are given to us, but not for us. They are to be shared with everyone. We are each differently gifted and must use our gifts together as the body of Christ in order that everyone may know Him.
We hear that “love covers a multitude of sins”. It’s not that we can do good things to pay off our failures, but that once we have accepted Jesus as our savior, our sins are forgiven through His sacrifice and we give willingly to others out of gratitude for this blessing. Peter closes this passage by telling us “then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ”, and we can await His return with joy.
Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have sinned against You and each other. Help us to live new lives through the gift of Your son, and to share Your love with all the world. Amen.