You are Not Like the Others
You are not Like the Others
Recently someone emailed me saying that he felt like some people are “on fire” and just want to go tell people about Jesus or want to go far-away and be missionaries, but he just didn’t have that in him. Maybe you have wondered why some people have such a joy and fire to tell people the gospel, while you do not? Maybe in your case it’s the opposite. Maybe you want to tell people the Gospel, but you just can’t stand the thought that the people you might have to tell will be three-to-five-year-olds.
Your Christian life is not going to be like anyone else's Christian life. You are a uniquely crafted individual. God says you are His workmanship. (see Ephesians 2:10) The Greek word translated "workmanship" is "poema." He crafted you, you are His masterpiece, His carefully constructed poem.
Don’t even bother to look at other people and how their relationship with God appears or how they seem to behave.
Look what scripture teaches about us in 1 Corinthians 12:11–25 "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one part, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But now there are many parts, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. (NASB 2020)
If you read the verses that surround this passage you will find it followed by this in 1 Corinthians 12:27–31.
"Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And yet, I am going to show you a far better way. (NASB 2020)
Immediately following this in his letter, Paul launched into the famous passage about love that is the heart of chapter 13. Love is the better way.
Not everyone is going to go out and tell others about the Lord. Not everyone is going to sit by a bedside and give comfort to others. Not everyone (especially not me) is going to teach young children or sit in the nursery on Sundays.
Someone will be praying over everything. Someone will cook meals for others. Someone will be great at fixing cars. Someone will raise chickens or sell produce. Somebody else will be quietly living their life very rarely knowing the impact they are having on others just by being themselves.
Father works with our uniqueness because He is infinite, and it takes every one of us to even begin to express Him to others. He works with our limitations, physical, intellectual, mental, or whatever they may be.
The Apostle Paul experienced this, and he wrote about it in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
“Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NASB 2020)
Every single part of the Body of Christ is important. No part of the Body of Christ is useless. That includes you.
