Lesson 17: How we are apart – as servants

Read 1 Peter 4:1-19- https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1pe.4
 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
11 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.

The second thing holiness means in our lives is that we will give up our earthly desire for power and become servants as Jesus became a servant for us. One of the lies from the evil one is that power means we have something others do not have; but this is not true when we see true power from God’s perspective. Power God’s way is not the way of the bully or tyrant, it is the way of true love. Our verses for today say we are to keep loving one another earnestly or truly.


Being self-controlled is the way of love, while the way of the tyrant is anger and pain. The way of human power is to shame others by uncovering their faults to make ourselves look better; but the way of love covers faults and encourages the other to become better at trusting Jesus. Love shares with others rather than hoarding for ourselves against a day of need. The way of love uses every gift given to us by the Father to help others – there are no gifts which benefit only us. God’s full list of true love is found in 1 Corinthians 13.

And most importantly, everyone who speaks, when they speak from love, speaks to help others and bring glory only to God.

Being a servant is not the way of the world around us. This is one way holiness shows we are different from this world. Jesus said to His disciples, on the night He knew He would die, they must not seek power over others. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet – something the lowest servant of the house would do for guests.

In our world today there are many who seek God only because of power. Since they feel powerless in their own life, they believe that the power of God to do miracles would set them apart and make others notice them. But the greatest power anyone can have is the power to make someone else’s life a bit happier or easier. It is not what I know which makes me powerful, it is what I can teach another. It is not what I can make someone do that makes me powerful, it is what I can help them do for themselves. It is not wealth I collect which makes me powerful, it is helping another become able to provide for themselves and others which gives me greater power than any other gift I can possibly give. Peter must have remembered, as he wrote these words, how he was asked one day for a bit of money to help a lame beggar get food. Peter did not have money with him, but he gave what he had – Jesus (see the story in Acts 3:1-10).

*How can you serve someone today for God’s glory?