Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, May 22, 2022
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: We can use our gifts to serve God no matter our circumstances.
Despite his imprisonment, not only did Paul continue to reach out to the Christian communities he had started, but he also found himself useful as a servant of God in the prison itself. The entire imperial guard learned of Paul’s mission, and his imprisonment and ongoing evangelism gave courage and strength to other Christians to speak their truth boldly.
God calls at inopportune times and often we respond with “when…” or “if…”. We say “I’ll follow God’s call when I have enough money,” or “when I have more experience,” or “more support.” “I’ll follow God’s call if God gives me a clearer sign,” or “if other people think it’s a good idea,” or “if I am likely to succeed.”
But our whens or ifs don’t matter. We can serve where we are. We can serve with the gifts we have. We can serve even if we don’t know if we will succeed or fail.
Imprisonment didn’t stop Paul from following God’s call. Some of us may not know our mission yet, but we can serve in many ways until we discover just how God intends to use our unique set of gifts for God’s glory. Others of us may know our mission but are reluctant to move forward because of obstacles. Still others of us know our mission and move forward boldly, whether we are likely to succeed or not. No one else can tell us what God’s call is for us. We must figure that out for ourselves, and then determine just how we are going to use our gifts to serve.
