As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
When I think about serving God..I think about my neighbor Vi Tab. When my kids were real little and we still lived in Columbia Heights, MN; we would get a bag of bread delivered every week. The bag had some goodies in it and always a tract called Tabulations. The kids loved looking out for this bag and they also liked hearing the little jokes that were in the Tabulation. We had no idea who was being so kind, but I remember that when money was so tight I was blessed to know that a few treats would appear in that bag.
We eventually met our neighbor Vi and we learned that she was the one to deliver the bag and write the Tabulations. When I thanked Vi and asked her why she did this…she told me that she wanted to share Jesus’ love with everyone. I thought to myself how in the world was I supposed to see Jesus in bread and cookies.
I eventually learned that Vi attended Oak Hill Baptist Church. She started bringing our kids to Awana and our whole family on Sunday mornings. Vi’s love for Jesus was so alive. She not only delivered bags of bread, but she helped in so many ways to all her neighbors. Vi took opportunities to share Christ’s love even in the toughest of times. One of the houses on our block was hit by a car in a terrible crash. Many people speculated the driver was drunk. This driver lost his life. The home had some major damage. Vi sent out a special tract that week that talked about forgiveness. She reminded us that what happened, happened and continuing to show bitterness would not help anyone heal. She also gently let us know that the driver had a heart attack and had not been drinking. Neighbors respected and appreciated Vi for turning situations around.
I peter 2: 4-6 speaks of living stones. Vi certainly exemplified this type of living stone. Each of us who believe in Christ have the ability and responsibility to become living stones. Our cornerstone or foundation is Christ. We are spiritual temples and we will lay our temples on the foundation of Christ. As we go through our day, we will engage in activities that will continue to Bring God glory and share the love of Jesus with others. We will be Jesus with skin on.
Serving Christ either in the church or in other ways is not only what we are called to do, but it is so rewarding! Take a moment and pray about how God wants you to serve him. If you are struggling to find ways, feel free to email us and we would love to connect you with opportunities.
Remember, as you look for ways to serve God promises in verse six that those of us who trust in Christ will not be ashamed. God knows that we may feel uncomfortable or vulnerable, but he reassures us that we will never be ashamed. Take the chance and reach out to another to share God’s love! That person will be richly blessed and you will be as well.
It is my prayer that each of us find ways to serve God that will increase the kingdom of God. Take comfort as believers in Christ that we have a strong cornerstone in Jesus Christ.