I wonder if Peter was sitting in his boat on the Sea of Galilee when he was inspired to write…
1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
There he was, fishing in the clear water of the Sea of Galilee as it was being continually fed with fresh water from the Jordan River as it flowed down from the north to the south. And as he sat there in his boat that fresh clear water flowed past him, leaving life behind as it headed onward over the 65 miles to the mouth of the Dead Sea, some 1292 feet below sea level. And there it stayed!
Unlike the Sea of Galilee, which received water from above and passed it along, the Dead Sea received all that fresh water and just kept it, and in the process it became its namesake, a dead sea that is devoid of life whose water is bitter and yields nothing but salt.
As the bride of Christ, like the Sea of Galilee, we have received gifts from above; every one of us. We are to be like that sea and generously share those gifts with those around us; first and foremost our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we don’t, we become just like the Dead Sea and continue to selfishly receive and receive without sharing the benefits with others. The result for us is the same… we will become bitter.
God’s gifts come with His grace and they are for the blessing and benefit of others. We have to remember that we are only “stewards” of those gifts: oikonomous – estate managers. They are not our gifts they are His, and we will be held accountable for what we have done with them. Do we let those gifts freely flow in the current of the Holy Spirit and refresh and bless others or do we selfishly hold them back for ourselves?
Living or Dead… it’s our responsibility… it’s our choice.