When Chad and I first got married he was a serious rule, OCD kind of guy (still is I have just reformed him a bit). When I would sit down on the couch and rest from doing something outside, I would go to put my shoes back on, and they would be gone. This became very irritating after a while. The real problem came when he began redoing things I had already completed. So this is the conversation we had early on, “If you are going to come behind me and redo things, then I am not going to waste my time doing them in the first place.” So we made a deal right then, that there were some things he would completely do because he wanted them done a certain way, which was fine with me. However, he could not complain or gripe about doing those things because he had freely taken on that entire responsibility. You see the hardest thing we have had to learn, and still learn, is that we are not the same. God did not create us to function in the same way. Although I am not a list maker, or a control nut, I function just fine. When his list gets off and all messed up, I can improvise and everything still works out. It may not be how we planned it exactly, but sometimes it is even better. He on the other has made me a little neater, and maybe a tad OCD about some things.
I tell you this just to reemphasize that God gave us all gifts and talents. If we spend all our time trying to make everyone else function just like we do, we will be highly disappointed. Not only will be disappointed, but it can be exacerbating for those around us. The scripture in 1 Corinthians 12 says, “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he will. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.”
Did you listen to the first two lines? There are varieties of gifts and service, but the same Spirit, and the same Lord. Basically people may do things differently, but ultimately it is to bring glory to the one true God. He also informs us that the body has many members. This is another reminder of why we should embrace different people’s talents and gifts. Our body cannot operate 100% the way God created it, if we are missing a member. The same is true in the body of Christ. The church needs people functioning at all different levels to make the church work. For example, administration may be someone’s greatest ability, but they do not have a creative bone in their body. Someone may be awesome at managing money, but is a terrible communicator. The list could go on and on but you get the point.
I think as a minister, my biggest mistake would be to micromanage my team. You see I have tons of people in my ministry and they are all different. I give them the umbrella, and an outline to work under; then they put their personal touch on their lessons. It is amazing to go into different rooms, and here the same story, but told in unique ways. I am so blessed to have teachers that make it fun for the kids by using their gifts. If I as a leader tried to make them all teach the exact same thing, the exact same way, it would leave no creative ability. For me to do this would be a sin, because I would be stifling their spiritual gifts, that God himself gave them.
I think this verse is just a good reminder that no matter where we are; in our home, work, school, church, extracurricular activities, and on and on, we will always be dealing with different people. If we learn to focus on the things people are good at, it will make our life a whole lot easier. We need to come to the conclusion that life is not like math; there are usually several different ways to come to the same end result. If we embrace all the talents and gifts that God has put in our life, and in those around us; he will truly do amazing things!!
I tell you this just to reemphasize that God gave us all gifts and talents. If we spend all our time trying to make everyone else function just like we do, we will be highly disappointed. Not only will be disappointed, but it can be exacerbating for those around us. The scripture in 1 Corinthians 12 says, “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he will. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.”
Did you listen to the first two lines? There are varieties of gifts and service, but the same Spirit, and the same Lord. Basically people may do things differently, but ultimately it is to bring glory to the one true God. He also informs us that the body has many members. This is another reminder of why we should embrace different people’s talents and gifts. Our body cannot operate 100% the way God created it, if we are missing a member. The same is true in the body of Christ. The church needs people functioning at all different levels to make the church work. For example, administration may be someone’s greatest ability, but they do not have a creative bone in their body. Someone may be awesome at managing money, but is a terrible communicator. The list could go on and on but you get the point.
I think as a minister, my biggest mistake would be to micromanage my team. You see I have tons of people in my ministry and they are all different. I give them the umbrella, and an outline to work under; then they put their personal touch on their lessons. It is amazing to go into different rooms, and here the same story, but told in unique ways. I am so blessed to have teachers that make it fun for the kids by using their gifts. If I as a leader tried to make them all teach the exact same thing, the exact same way, it would leave no creative ability. For me to do this would be a sin, because I would be stifling their spiritual gifts, that God himself gave them.
I think this verse is just a good reminder that no matter where we are; in our home, work, school, church, extracurricular activities, and on and on, we will always be dealing with different people. If we learn to focus on the things people are good at, it will make our life a whole lot easier. We need to come to the conclusion that life is not like math; there are usually several different ways to come to the same end result. If we embrace all the talents and gifts that God has put in our life, and in those around us; he will truly do amazing things!!
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