“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!'”
1 Corinthians 12:21
It’s interesting to me how the body of Christ is compared to the physical body. There are different parts that all have different uses and are all needed to have a more productive life. We can live without certain parts of our body, but it would make it harder.
If we see the body of Christ that way it’s understandable that we are all good at something and if we used those talents and gifts for the kingdom instead of trying to compete with one another what would the body of Christ be like?
There are things I am really good at. Then there are things I am not good at at all. For instance, I can write, but do not ask me to draw. I am a horrible artist. If you want your pictures to be pretty and painted, I have friends that can help you with that. But I am not one of them.
Just as the body needs all parts to perform to its fullest capacity, so does the body of Christ.
There are those of us that are teachers, singers, comforters, musicians, youth leaders, child-care workers, sound-booth technicians, and we all have a purpose and a job to do, and we are all needed.
Sometimes we can get jealous of other abilities that we don’t have.
“Well she sings better than me…”
“Well he is a better administrator than I am…”
“Well she is more crafty than me…”
What if instead of constantly being jealous and comparing ourselves to others we actually appreciated one another’s differences and talents?
Trust me, I know this is hard, but it makes the world a lot easier.
Perhaps instead of stewing over how great of an artist she is, you can walk up and say, “Hey you know what, that is a great picture. You did a fantastic job!” You will find the more you congratulate others on their successes, the less jealous and left out you will feel. You will also be more confident in your own successes when you stop focusing on that of others so much.
Each of us have something to bring to the table.
Ask yourself these key questions:
- What am I good at?
- Is there a ministry for that linked to my church?
- What are some needs I can see?
My mom growing up was always very realistic. Perhaps that is one reason I am so realistic and black and white now. I see things for what they are. Growing up she would always say, “You know that may not be the best thing for you…” and most of the time- she was right. I grew up with parents that had real expectations. They believed in me, but they were really good at being honest with me about my abilities.
So be honest with yourself and ask some others you know, “What can I do well? Is there any place ya’ll need help that I can meet that need?”
If you don’t remember anything else remember…
You are loved.
You are valuable.
You are useful.