Each person is given gifts from God, strengths designed to serve Him in His kingdom. While it is easy to be thankful to God for our gifts we must show caution as well. It is human nature to view the world through our strength. That means to hold people accountable in the light of our gifts. An important step in growing God’s kingdom is to embrace the gifts of those around us and to allow our gifts to bless them as we allow their gifts to bless and grow us. These steps together strengthen the body of Christ. We have to make sure to be open to the views and abilities of each individual, and be aware that we may not understand those views and gifts at first. We can be assured that God does understand and we can take it to Him in prayer and develop understanding through wisdom. God has a purpose for all of His creation. If we insist on understanding it all we are humanizing God. If you ever feel that you fully understand you should be afraid, you are guaranteed to be lost.

Make a point today to not hold people accountable to your expectations and abilities. They will almost always disappoint you. We must appreciate their gifts and contributions whatever they may be. It’s the diversity in the body of Christ that gives it its strength. Try not to focus on how people have fallen short, but what they have contributed, however slight it may be. God is at work in each of us and that person you might not understand is an important part of God’s plan.

(1 Corinthians 12:14-20)  For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.