You Are Unique!

When I was around the age of eight, I can remember realization that I couldn’t snap my fingers or whistle. I was distraught. I thought, “Everyone can whistle except me.” My brother Joshua and I tried to figure out the technique, but nothing happened. The truth is that today I can’t do either. As I look back at this today, I find it silly. So what if I can’t snap, I have other things that matter more than that. This is a great illustration of how people feel about talent. They believe that only the people who preach, sing, or play an instrument can make a difference in the church. This is just not the case.

⁴ For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…” (Romans 12:4-6a).

I love this verse because of how it brings everything into focus. There are many parts in the body of Christ and we all have a role.

I love what Joel Osteen once said about speaking. In the beginning of his ministry he was intimidated because he did not have a loud boisterous voice. He doesn’t talk like Morgan Freeman. But still he found out that using the voice that God gave him was what worked best. He said, “In my early days as pastor at Lakewood, I felt as though my laid-back personality was a disadvantage… But what I thought would be a liability turned out to be an asset. I realized that God made me like this on purpose.” (Every Day a Friday P.98-99)[1].

He realized that he did not have to talk loud, instead he just had to move the microphone closer. He used the voice God gave him. My word to you is, use what God gave you.

Maybe you can’t sing, snap, or whistle, but instead of looking at what you can’t do, look at what you can do. Can we pay for someone’s meal? Can we hug a sad friend? Can we pray for the sick? When we as the church embraces the gifts that God gave us, we will impact this world!

[1] Osteen, Joel. Every Day a Friday: How to Be Happier 7 Days a Week. New York, NY: FaithWords, 2011. Print.