Corona Devo 3241
My husband (and his friends when we are out of town) have been watering our garden religiously and daily and intentionally for many weeks. And...we are beginning to harvest some crops!
Today my husband brought a lemon cucumber in from the garden. It looked a little like an apple, or a tiny gourd, and the seeds inside were large.
But when I sliced it up to have with supper...do you know what it tasted like?
A cucumber.
And sometimes I buy the long English cucumbers from the store, when I want to slice up cukes for salads or vegetable trays. These cucumbers look nothing like the orb-shaped lemon cucumbers: instead, they are long and thin, and their seeds are tiny.
But when I slice them up...do you know what they taste like?
And once in a while, I will purchase mini-cucumbers, mostly just if I want to put a "fun" vegetable on a plate or in a lunch box in the hopes that my kids will eat it. These mini cucumbers are often not much larger than a thick finger, and while they are a fraction of the size of an English cuke and have no shape-similarity to a round lemon cucumber...do you know what they taste like?
A cucumber.
No matter how you slice it...there are different kinds and shapes of cucumbers, but all of them taste...like cucumbers.
~~~
Brothers and Sisters!!--We (as followers-of-Christ) are all the same. The good Lord (in His wisdom and creative genius) made us all unique and special, down to our individual fingerprints and giftings. He did this on purpose and for His purposes.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; (7) if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; (8) if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. ~Romans 12:6-8
Your gifts and talents are not mine. My hair color and shoe size are not yours.
And with intention and purpose God has gifted each of us. On the outside we are all different (let's embrace it instead of competing with others, being jealous, or condescending to others)...and on the inside--with our giftings and talents, we are all different. But this is a good thing, and do you know what each Believer has in common?
...in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ~I Corinthians 12:6
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. (5) There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (6) There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.(7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.(8) To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, (10) to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.(11) All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. ~I Corinthians 12:4-6
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. (13) For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (14) Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
(15) Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
(16) And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
(17) If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
(18) But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. (19) If they were all one part, where would the body be? (20) As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
(21) The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”...
...But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, (25) so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. (26) If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ~I Corinthians 12:12-21, 24-26
We are all cucumbers! Who cares if we are lemon cucumbers, English ones or mini? We all taste like cucumbers in the end!
This is what God is trying to get through our (thick) skulls! He doesn't want His children to compete and be divided (there should be no division in the body). We should not only look after each other, but we should champion each other (but that its parts should have equal concern for each other)!
I picture a team, where instead of each player (playing individually) and scrambling and hustling to make the basket, or score the goal on their own. Instead, God envisions and desires unity on our team, where none of us care who scores, but we are all working diligently together to accomplish that goal as a team.
We are Team Jesus, everyone! And some of us look (and play) like lemon cucumbers. And some of us have the talents of an English cucumber, and still others pack a punch as mini cucumbers.
...in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ~I Corinthians 12:6
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (28) And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
(29) Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? (30) Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (31) Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. ~I Corinthians 12:27-31
The only thing that is for sure is that we are all different. Let's celebrate the gifts that God has given each of us, instead of harboring covetousness and envy towards each other because of them.
God is doing something in our differences, and we can glorify Him bigger if we can get better at glorifying Him together.
Amen.
No matter how you slice it: God has a good plan and each of us have a unique role and gifting in it. Let's embrace what God has given us, and also what He has given others. And to Him be all the glory.
Blessings,
sarah
https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment