Our loving God has specially created us to be the tools he needs in the world right now. Complaining about not being more like someone else, then, doesn't make sense.

"I hate that guy! He just gets all this math stuff. How come I am not like him?"

"I don't like her because she is a better soccer player than me. It is not fair that she is good without doing anything."

Words we very often speak-or think. Words we hear from the friends around us. Words that have two serious problems. The first problem is a lack of contentment with the talents God has given us. The other is our lack of appreciation for the talents of others (1 Corinthians 12:14-31).

The Problem with Comparison

If we start to compare ourselves to others, we are saying " God, you've messed up. How can I be thankful for the gifts and talents you have graciously given to me? They are not as good as other people's. I know what is best for me. Yes, I understand that you love me and everything, but I don't like your gifts to me."

A lack of gratitude and trust

Whoa! How can speak like this to the Lord who is giving a gift?

You would never say to your parents "The Christmas gift you gave to me is not as big and fancy as my brother's. It's not good enough."

Out of thanksgiving to God and trust in his love and wisdom we use the gifts he has given. He's given others different gifts because others have different jobs. Some have gifts to become pastors. Some have gifts to become engineers.

Built for a Purpose

What if everyone in this world was only given engineering talents? This world would be a boring- and unworkable-place. Paul said in his epistle to the Corinthians, "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?" (1 Corinthians 12:18).

If everyone were engineers, who would make ice cream for us? Who would protect us from terrorists? Who would preach the Word and care for our souls? Everyone's gifts are different but our purpose is the same: serving the Lord and spreading the sweet gospel to others (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The Reason to Trust

We are God's precious children. He loves us so dearly that he gave his one and only Son. There no way he could have messed up when he made us the unique people we are. We do not have time to waste by comparing ourselves to others. We gladly accept who our Father has made us and the opportunities he has given us to serve him. We joyfully use whatever gifts and talents God has given us to help others hear God's word (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

The guy who understands quadratic equations. The girl who is an excellent goal-keeper. Don't grumble that they are better than you at those things. Rejoice that God has given them such gifts-and that he has given you gifts specially tailored for you and his purpose for you. God hasn't messed up.

Tom Park is a pastoral studies senior at Martin Luther College.

Passages:

1 Corinthians 12:14-31 ¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be 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 cease to be 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 arranged 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!" ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given 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. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in 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 But eagerly desire the greater gifts

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 ²⁶ Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.