Today’s Reading, 1 Corinthians 12-14
Focal Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14 “Indeed, the body is not one part but many.”
Conformity is something that can have its benefits. However, it has been my experience that conformity kills individuality and thinking. It kills progress. In one sense conformity is good when it comes to identifying yourself as a team. Or even conformity in thinking about a mission. The problem happens when people want conformity in thinking and in the way things are done.
In today’s reading Paul is explaining that everyone has different gifts given by the spirit. These gifts will look different for each person. However, these individual gifts are needed to accomplish the larger goal of the church. He reminds the church at Corinth that they should be unified under one goal but each person will have a different role to play in the church. They are unified in mission but diverse in gifts.
So what does this mean for believers today? It means that we need to embrace the differences of others. The way people are gifted and the way people think. If everyone has the same goal and mission the journey can look different for each person to reach the finish line.
Paul was encouraging people to use their God given gifts and talents to build up the church. He knew that each person had a pivotal role in the health and accomplishment of the mission. What is the mission you ask? Telling the world about Jesus.
Be encouraged today if you don’t conform to other people’s thinking and agenda. Is your gifts to bring glory to God. Use your mind and talents to look at things from a different perspective. The church needs people who are not stagnant or rigid in their thinking. It also needs people who hold true to the mission. Whenever the body works together the church will see success. Whenever gifts are stifled the church will see decline.
Embrace your gifts and outside the main mission. Make Jesus famous.
Tomorrow I plan on reading 1 Corinthians 15-16
