Part of the Same Body

Sometimes, it’s easy to become intimidated or even jealous of other
Christians. “Alondra is so good at teaching—would I be a better Christian
if I could teach like she can? Blake always knows how to show mercy to
people—why is that so hard for me? Is it bad that I can’t lead people in
worship like Jade?”

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God has equipped His people in so many different ways, and that’s a good
thing. We don’t need to compare ourselves to other Christians

because we belong to the same God. It’s not a competition—we’re all on the
same team. As 1 Corinthians 12 puts it, we are all part of the body of
Christ. Even though different body parts have different functions, they all
work together as a whole.

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Similarly, Christians are equipped with different spiritual gifts, but
these gifts “are the work of one and the same Spirit” (verse 11). God
doesn’t leave anyone out. All of us are important in the body of Christ,
each of us tremendously and equally loved by God. He demonstrated His great
love for us in Jesus—He came to serve, giving His very life for us so that
we could be with Him (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). The reason we serve now,
in whatever capacity that may be, is because we love Jesus and want to
share His love with others.

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As members of the same team and family, we have the freedom to explore
the gifts God has given us. Some Christians will have gifts that are
similar to ours, others will have very different gifts. But we can trust
Jesus to guide us in how to serve Him as we listen to His Spirit, His Word,
and His people. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can serve Him
faithfully as one of the many unique members of His church, knowing that we
are loved no matter how we serve. • A. W. Smith

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• Consider taking some time to reread 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians
4:11-16. The Holy Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to all Christians.
What questions do you have about spiritual gifts?

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• Who are trusted Christians in your life—such as pastors, counselors,
parents, or teachers—who could help you discern your spiritual gifts and
talk through questions you might have about the gifts you have, and the
gifts others have?

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Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as
faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Read Verses:

1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-Ephesians 4:16