Most of my life I have been blessed to be around a healthy, growing, body of believers, and this year on the world race is no different. The hard thing about being around such a mighty, spirit filled group is that comparison likes to camp at my door. I look at their giftings and wonder why mine don't look like that. I think… "what use are mine?" "They aren't as good as someone else's."
Last week these feelings began to creep in once again during squad worship. I sat on the floor wondering why The Lord needed me, when He had all these other people that were more gifted than I was.
He told me to open my bible and read 1 Cor. 12. So I did.
I had read it several times before but on that particular night it sank in deep. The Lord has been slowly teaching me about what it means to truly be the body of Christ. On that night, it made more sense than it ever had before.
The issue is not that they are more gifted than me, but just simply that they are gifted differently than me. But that's the beauty of the body of Christ.
To add to the analogy the apostle Paul gives us in that chapter…
What good is a mouth if there are no lungs or voice box to form the sound?
What good is the skeleton if there are no muscles to make it move?
What good is the brain, if there are no nerves to carry the message to the rest of the body? Some parts are more noticeable or seem more important, but ultimately they all depend on each other. One part cannot work independently of the others. They work in unison and with a common purpose. Life.
This isn't an accident. The Lord created it specifically that way. And how beautiful it is! It is a humbling, wonderful thought.
I sat there breathing in these refreshing words. Words that reminded me I don't have to look, or be like anyone else. Our God is the God of creation and he created me uniquely. He gives all of us different giftings and puts us in different circumstances to cultivate those giftings.
Its a waste of my time when I try to make my gifts look the same as my brothers and sisters. Its counter productive. The Lord has gifted each of us uniquely to work together as a cohesive body. Its time that I recognize the giftings the Lord has so graciously (in His perfect pleasure) bestowed on me, and walk in them. As long as I try to compare myself with my brothers and sisters I am ineffective and I give satan the upper hand. We have allowed the enemy to win for too long by diverting our attention in this area.
Ask the Lord where He has gifted you.
Praise Him for His infinite wisdom in gifting you this way.
Join with your brothers and sister and fulfill the call He has given each of you.
