He is my Delight

Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

When 1 Corinthians 12 lists the gifts of the Spirit, this verse follows:

1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Each one in the body of Christ has giftings given by the Holy Spirit. All these gifts work in a beautiful unity of purpose to glorify Jesus and edify the church. But the gifts differ from person to person, and the operation of the same gift may vary greatly in different people.

We are called to unity, not uniformity. Here’s a quick definition of uniformity – freedom from variation or difference; sameness of action, effect, etc., under like conditions.

The only person we are to seek uniformity with is Jesus. When we try to preach like someone else, pray like someone else, or write like someone else, we lose the unique manifestation of the gifts that the Spirit wants to bring through us.

While we should all come together as the body of Christ in unity of purpose, there will be a variety of functions. Yet the function of each contributes to the unified purpose of all.

There is something that the Spirit of God has gifted you to do. There is grace on your life to do that thing. And the body of Christ needs you to do that thing in the way the Holy Spirit moves through you to do that thing.

It’s so helpful that Paul used the analogy of the body. We think about people that we might consider the mouth or the eye or the ear. Their use is so noticed and valued by all. They may be appreciated and praised by the body and their contribution honored while you might feel like the appendix. Tucked away in some hidden recess with seemingly no purpose. But just let that appendix get inflamed and the whole body is going to be affected.

Whatever part the Lord is leading you to play in his great mission in this earth (building the kingdom of God by winning souls, making disciples, and edifying the body of Christ), let your life be set on fire with a holy passion to do it. Inflamed by the Spirit of God, even a little appendix can have a big impact 😊