Variety of Gifts

Tree house

Enjoying cake

Partying with friends

Playing watchmen to sound the alarm when enemy approaches

Family photo

Our son-in-law is very handy. He knows how to repair cars, and fixes many
things around the house. He built the foundation for his tool sheds, and flower beds by splitting logs a foot in diameter. For his children, he designed and built a tree house from scratch, single-handedly, within a couple of weeks. He is good in photography too, and plays drums for the worship team. In short, he is very gifted with his hands.

I have a friend who is very handy too. He is an outdoors man – hunting, archery, fishing, camping, whether in trailers, tents, or even perched up in trees waiting for deer. He renovated his basement by himself, and of course fixes all kinds of furniture and gadgets. He too, is his church’s drummer, and gifted with his hands.

I am the exact opposite. I am happy when I can assemble a BBQ or a desk from components within half a day when others take only a couple of hours. I’m the only one in the family who can’t play any music instruments, and my eye-hand coordination is such that I can’t save myself if my life depended on it! Does that mean I’m useless? Not at all, because there are varieties of gifts:

• 1 Co 12:4-11 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

Are we different? Yes. Are some unimportant? No! Just as there are many members to the body, and no part can say to another, “I have no need of you”, so no individual member within Christ’s body can live without other members. We need the same care for one another, because if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. I do wish I am more handy, but I’m glad I can do my part, even in a small way, and contribute to Christ’s body. Thanks and praise be to God.