Give What You Have
God has a work for each of us to do, and He needs our unique gifts and talents to accomplish it.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the importance of doing good, communicating, and freely giving as sacrifices that please God. She emphasizes the need to open our eyes to see the work God has for us and to serve others with compassion, recognizing that it is Christ working through us. Tileston encourages believers to offer themselves to the Lord for service, trusting that He can transform even the simplest offerings into powerful instruments of His grace and love.
Text
To do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
HEBREWS 13:16
Freely ye have received, freely give.
MATTHEW 10:8
SURELY Thou hast some work for me to do!
Oh, open Thou mine eyes,
To see how Thou wouldst choose to have it done,
And where it lies
ELIZABETH PRENTISS
THEN saw I that each kind compassion that man hath on his fellow-Christians with charity, it is Christ in him.
MOTHER JULIANA
SAY not you cannot gladden, elevate, and set free; that you have nothing of the grace of influence; that all you have to give is at the most only common bread and water. Give yourself to your Lord for the service of men with what you have. Cannot He change water into wine? Cannot He make stammering words to be instinct with saving power? Cannot He change trembling efforts to help into deeds of strength? Cannot He still, as of old, enable you in all your personal poverty "to make many rich?" God has need of thee for the service of thy fellow men. He has a work for thee to do. To find out what it is, and then to do it, is at once thy supremist duty and thy highest wisdom. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."
GEORGE BODY
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Service
- The Power of Giving
- Overcoming Self-Doubt
- Recognizing Our Value to God
- Embracing Our Unique Gifts and Talents
Key Quotes
“Freely ye have received, freely give.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Cannot He change water into wine? Cannot He make stammering words to be instinct with saving power?” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“God has need of thee for the service of thy fellow men. He has a work for thee to do.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should give ourselves to God for the service of others, trusting that He will take what we have and make it into something powerful.
- We need to seek God's guidance and listen for His voice to discover our unique role in His plan.
- God is with us and will enable us to do what He asks us to do, even if it feels impossible.