Daily devotion – Are we part of the frustration or part of the blessing?
Serving in Our God-Given Place
Do you ever get frustrated when you have to do something that is just not in your skill set? I often feel that way. My skill set, as I like to say, is the ability to dig a hole—and not a very deep one at that! Yet some of the most frustrating moments in my day come when I’m faced with tasks that must be done, but I simply don’t have the ability or understanding to do them well.
Paperwork is a classic example. It’s manageable—until things change. When tax time comes around, it seems the rules have all shifted again, and suddenly you feel like you need to be a recently graduated Rhodes Scholar just to complete the forms. It’s these moments—when we are out of our depth, off course without a compass—that can trouble us most.
At times like this, I’m reminded of the disciples in the storm (Luke 8). The wind and waves overwhelmed them, Jesus appeared to be asleep, and fear took hold as they thought they might perish.
In a similar way, when we find ourselves overwhelmed and unable, we can feel helpless. But God, in His wisdom, has not called us to do everything—He has called us to be part of something.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12:12:
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”
The body of Christ is made up of many parts, each with its own role and purpose. Every believer has been given gifts—specific abilities entrusted by God—not for themselves alone, but for the strengthening of the whole Church.
When one part is missing or not functioning, the whole body feels it. Just like in the human body, when one part is injured, the others must work harder to compensate.
In the same way, when we do not step into the role God has given us, the body of Christ is hindered. But when we faithfully bring what God has entrusted to us—no matter how small it may seem—we help the whole body function as it should.
Your gifting matters. Your role is significant. What you bring cannot be replaced.
So rather than being overwhelmed by what we cannot do, let us be faithful in what we can do. Let us take our place in the body, serving with humility and joy.
I pray that we would not be the cause of strain or lack within the body of Christ, but instead be willing, available, and faithful—bringing our God-given gifts so that the Church may function fully, and that the will of God may be done here on earth.