1 Peter 4:10 NLT
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:10, is part of a larger passage where the apostle Peter is encouraging believers to use their gifts and abilities to serve others within the Christian community.
Here's some context from the preceding verses in 1 Peter 4:7-11 (NIV):
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."
In this passage, St.Peter emphasizes that we should be watchful, prayerful, and loving toward one another, practicing hospitality without complaint. Furthermore, he urges us to use the spiritual gifts we have received from God to serve others faithfully and effectively.
The context stresses the imminence of the end times and the importance of living in a manner that glorifies God. We are encouraged to use our unique gifts and abilities—whether speaking or serving—to build up the Christian community and bring honor to God. The emphasis is on stewardship: responsibly using the gifts God has provided to benefit others and ultimately bring glory to Him.
Therefore, in the context of 1 Peter 4:10, the exhortation is for individuals to recognize their spiritual gifts, utilize them diligently, and employ them in service to others within the community of faith, thereby fulfilling their role as faithful stewards of God's grace.
