Being blind, uneducated, and seventy years-old, there was not much she could do—but she wanted to do something. The African woman had been led to Jesus by a gospel-preaching missionary, but her newfound zeal hit a brick wall because of her limitations. She wanted to serve the needy, but felt too old. She yearned to teach, but she couldn’t read. But after seeking God’s wisdom, she conceived an unconventional idea. 

She gave her Bible to the missionary and asked him to underline John 3:16 in red ink. She then passed around her Bible to younger villagers, asking, “Can you read the passage underlined in red?” Then came a follow-up question: “Do you know what this means?” When the youth would respond, “No,” she would then tell them “the old, old story of Jesus and His love.” Although she wasn’t a missionary or a Bible teacher, she understood that the Lord gave her a job to do—and she made it all about Jesus. 

Likewise, if you believe in the Man whose voice inspired the red letters, you also have a calling to fulfill, a ministry to steward, spiritual gifts to use, and divinely-tailored tasks assigned by God exclusively for you. As Paul explained, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

And the not-so-secret secret for faithfully fulfilling your God-given calling is centering your service and spiritual gifts around the “words in red,” and the Man who spoke them. When Jesus is not the focus, service swiftly degenerates into self-serving. If the glory of Christ is not the goal of your Spirit-supplied abilities, then recognition, results, and reputation will take its place. Thus, whether you are pastoring a church, teaching Sunday school, changing diapers in the nursery, evangelizing a lost neighbor, singing in the choir, leading family worship, caring for the sick, or counseling the broken—the cross must be the axis. This is why Peter said, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11a).

Jesus illustrated this truth in His parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). A master entrusted great fortunes to his servants while he was gone. Two servants invested what they were given, but the “wicked and slothful servant” buried his money in the ground for safekeeping. When the master returned, he blessed the servants who used what he gave them, but cursed the servant who did nothing with what he was given. And the lesson is clear: use what God has given you (Rom. 12:6). Don’t bury your abilities and spiritual gifts—steward them faithfully.

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