Lately I’ve been noticing and appreciating how God made each of us different. God’s creativity really knows no bounds. DNA alone has produced billions of people who look different. And when we add in our culture, our life experiences and the stories we’ve shared, the variety is, well, infinite. And God did this on purpose.

First Corinthians seems to me to consider this theme of “individualization” or “diversity”. For example, 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 4-7 talk about a variety of gifts, a variety of ministries or ways to serve and a variety of activities and accomplishments. And verse 14 talks about the many members of the body being different, and how funny it would be if the entire body was a foot, or an eye. Verse 19 asks “If all were a single member, where would the body be?” Paul finishes chapter 12 taking about how God has appointed different members of the body to different tasks – apostles, teachers, prophets, helpers, administrators and so on. I don’t think his point is that we each fit into one of these categories, but instead that God has intentionally made us unique, and uniquely equipped us to serve in just the place he put us.

This seems like something obvious, and yet I sometimes struggle to remember it. Too often, I look at missionaries as spiritual superheroes (which, let’s be honest, they sometimes are!), and wish that their ministry was mine. I’m so impressed with their gifts, their ministry, their service to God and what God has done through them that I get jealous, or feel lesser because God hasn’t given me the same abilities and role. God didn’t make His whole body a nose. These verses remind me that it’s important for me to be a toenail if that’s what God has called me to be.

1 Corinthians 7:17 “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him.”

But there’s a second theme that accompanies this theme of “God made us all different”. It’s a theme of ONE.

According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, there are different gifts, different ministries and different accomplishments – but behind them is ONE Spirit, ONE Lord and ONE God. In fact, verse seven gives us ONE purpose also for the different gifts, different ministries and different accomplishments – “for the good of all“.

The theme continues with verse 12 “just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are ONE body, so it is with Christ“.

How do we all, as unique individuals be one body? It takes 1 Corinthians 13 – Love. if we don’t have love, we’re not acting as one body.

Then 1 Corinthians 14 brings it together. Verse 1 says “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts…” And verse 3 gives the reason: “speak to people for the upbringing and encouragement and consolation“. And verse 12 reiterates it: “So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”

Isn’t this a cool verse? It seems the Corinthians were “eager for manifestations of the Spirit”. I too am eager to see God work. I want to be a part of what He’s doing in the world. I want to use my gifts and abilities to be contribute what God is doing. And this verse tells me how to do it:

“So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church”

God gave me a unique set of gifts and abilities. He assigned me a unique DNA and a unique life, making me a tool that in the skillful carpenter’s hand is exactly the tool he wants for the job He has called me to do. (Remember 1 Corinthians 7:17? “Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him.”). But He hasn’t just set me loose to figure this out on my own, He’s also told me where to put my efforts.

I should strive to excel. What should I strive to excel in? Strive to excel in building up the church. How do I do that? Practice loving (chapter 13), practice encouragement and consolation (chapter 14 verse 3), and practice building up the church (chapter 14 verse 12). God made me unique for the purpose of making me a part of his one body, the church, and I have a job. No matter what my gifts and abilities and background and story is – my job is to be a tool that God uses to build up the church.

May we excel in this.