Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)
Every believer in Christ Jesus has at least one spiritual gift (and many have a plethora). These giftings are given to us but not for us. They are for the body of Christ – used to serve others to meet their needs. As Paul tells us in a partial list of the giftings in Romans 12:6-8: We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Further, we are to do these giftings with all sincerity of heart sans grumbling and complaining (ouch!). If we fail to do our spiritual gifts, the body suffers and we ourselves lose the blessing. Contrary to the way our world operates now, God made us to need each other. We are not to be islands, rather we are to be ministering agents of God’s great love and grace. Faithfully administrating these in all their various forms. And we do this in the strength that God provides so that He may be glorified and praised. Through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, believers in Him have been equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve great works for God. He is to get the glory for our actions because they are done through His power indwelling us. We are simply the jars of clay – vessels to carry around His holiness. It is He Who calls us to love each other deeply and selflessly through His power and for His glory and for our ultimate good.
Admittedly, oftentimes it is difficult to know how to love others rightly. I have a friend that simply shows up, does not say much, and leaves the aroma of Christ by simply being present in the present. And it is simply profound. Sometimes it can be a note or a word of encouragement that can strengthen a weary saint. The point is to open your eyes and ears to the needs around you and you will find many opportunities to administer God’s grace through your precise gifting leaving the aroma of sweet Jesus in your encounters. That is how we win the world for the Lord.
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)