“Each of you … must use the gift that God has given you to serve others.”  ~1 Peter 4:10

Everyone (yes, even you) starts out as a tiny baby. Name some things that a baby can do by itself. It’s not a very long list, is it? But, little by little, a baby begins to do more and more things. Name some things that you can do now that you couldn’t do last year. There are times when you might get pretty excited and say, “Hey! I did it all by myself!”

Each one of us is different (unique, one-of-a-kind). Our whole life is spent learning and growing. You might hope to be a good cook like your mom or a smart businessman like your dad. Maybe you hope to travel the world or make an exciting new video game. God has made you to be YOU.

The more you learn about God, the more you see what’s really important in life. You want to make God happy and show him that you love him. God’s kind of love isn’t an ooey-gooey feeling like you might see in a movie, but it’s choosing to learn more about him, doing what he says, and notdoing what he says you shouldn’t do.

God wants you to serve or help OTHERS. Sometimes that’s hard to do. Do you whine a little bit when Mom asks you to set the table? Do you pout if you have to visit your aunt and uncle while your friends are going to see a movie?

“Putting on a happy face” isn’t always easy—not even for grownups. Another Bible verse can help us. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.”  We can do it!