5 Fundamental Truths About Our Gifts And Callings
by Dan Gallagher

One of the most influential periods of my life was the eight years I 
spent in the Roman Catholic Parochial school system. Many people who 
attended those schools can testify that forty or fifty years ago 
education at the feet of the priests and nuns was often a no-nonsense 
affair. For the most part, the students took school seriously, mostly 
because the nuns knew how to instill discipline like a drill sergeant 
with a platoon of new recruits. As I reflect back on the many lessons I 
learned in those formative years, I realize that one of the most 
beneficial was the sense that everyone has a gift and calling or, as 
they said, a vocation from God. It was explained that we are all unique 
and that it is your responsibility to discover your vocation. Today I 
see more clearly, and in a much larger way, some foundational truths 
concerning our personal gifts and callings.

Properly understanding these truths concerning our gifts and callings 
provides us with a proper framework in which to view our personal 
giftings. It also encourages us to discover our gifts, helps us to honor 
and respect the gifts of others, and motivates us to use our gifts for 
the benefit of others. These truths should greatly assist us in keeping 
our place in the Body of Christ in proper perspective. The elementary 
truths we will review are:

 1. There is only one Body.
 2. The one Body is composed of many members.
 3. Each member is unique.
 4. Each member is to work to benefit one another.
 5. Christ is the Head of the one Body.

1. There is only one Body
Everyone should seek to discover their personal giftings and the role 
God has called them to play. However, all talk about our personal 
giftings and roles must be viewed in light of the understanding that 
there is one Body, the Body of Christ.

    1 Corinthians 12:13
    For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or 
Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

    Romans 12:4 and 5
    (4) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these 
members do not all have the same function,
    (5) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member 
belongs to all the others.

We must never lose sight that there is only one Body. This means that 
every person who is born again of God's spirit is part of this one 
Body, no matter what church, denomination, or group they belong to. This
is the proper way to think of others who think differently about the 
scriptures, because it gives us the greatest opportunity to work for 
unity.

2. The one Body is composed of many members
Many Christians recognize that the one Body is composed of many members, 
yet from a practical standpoint this truth seems to get lost because of 
how people behave. One way this manifests itself is in the way we 
negatively judge others who differ from us, merely on the basis that 
they see and do things differently from us. The truth that there are 
many members in the Body of Christ obligates us to recognize that we are 
not alone. By acknowledging the many other members in the Body of Christ 
we give ourselves the opportunity to see a variety of perspectives 
besides our own.

While unity is expressed through the concept of there being one Body, 
its diversity is celebrated through the understanding that the Body has 
many members.

    Ephesians 4:25
    …for we are all members of one body.

    Romans 12:4 and 5
    (4) Just as each of us has one body with many members,
    (5)…so in Christ we who are many form one body…

    1 Corinthians 12:27
    Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

3. Each member is unique
With this third truth, that each member is unique, I give permission to 
myself and others to be different in our gifts and callings. In the New 
Testament, there are three sections of God's Word (Romans 12, 1 
Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4) that list various gifts. These lists 
are by no means exhaustive because we know that there are also those who 
are gifted as intercessors, dancers, worshippers, artisans, etc. In the 
Old Testament God even tells us how He spiritually gifted Bezalel as a 
craftsman with all types of artistry in metals, stone, and wood. There
is no reason to believe He does not do the same today in the Body of 
Christ.

The diversity of all the members allows for specialization in our 
functions (doings).

    Romans 12:4
    Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members 
do not all have the same function (doing)…

Not only would it be boring, it would also be extremely tedious if we 
all looked alike and did the same thing. The great variety among the 
various members allows for each of us to pursue our passions. Having a 
proper understanding of this truth provides us the greatest opportunity 
to respect and honor everyone's individual differences. The 
distinctiveness of each member creates a tapestry of color and hue. We 
are a kaleidoscope of grace that, through our various combinations, 
reveals God's great goodness.

4. Each member is to work to benefit the other members
Despite our individuality, we must work for the mutual benefit of all 
the members. God has given us all special gifts that we are to use to 
serve one another.

    1 Peter 4:10
    Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, 
faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

It is because we have a variety of gifts that we can minister (serve) 
His grace to others in a variety of ways. A teacher provides a benefit 
to the Body that is very different from an intercessor, server, or 
administrator. Although we serve differently, our service must be for 
the benefit of the others, because we belong to each other. One part of 
the Body cannot rightly deny another part.

    Romans 12:5
    so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs 
to all the others.

Within the Body of Christ we are to have a mutual concern for every 
other member in all we do. This truth is expressed wonderfully through 
the various 'one anothering' sections of God's Word, for instance:

    Romans 12:16
    Live in harmony with one another…

5. Christ is the head of the one Body
The health of the human body is very much dependent upon all the various 
systems working harmoniously together. In the human body it is the 
responsibility of the head (brain) to coordinate the various physical, 
chemical, and neurological systems. In the same way, our connection to 
the Head, Jesus Christ, is what keeps us working in harmony.

    Ephesians 5:23
    For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the 
church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

    Colossians 1:18
    And he is the head of the body, the church…

Serious problems develop in the Body of Christ whenever we lose 
connection with the Head. This happens whenever we turn to doing things 
our own way (idolatry and pride) versus following the lead of the Head.

    Colossians 2:18 and 19
    (18) Do not let anyone who delights in false humility [pride] and 
the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes 
into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs 
him up with idle notions.
    (19) He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, 
supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God 
causes it to grow.

When it comes to our gifts and callings, pride cannot be given any room. 
This truth is made clear when God provides a fictional dialogue between 
body parts in 1 Corinthians 12:14-22. This section begins with the foot 
complaining that because it is not the hand it is not a part of the 
body. This is the 'I'm not good enough syndrome.' This is really rooted 
in a devalued estimation of self, which is one way pride shows up. The 
other extreme is depicted when the eye says to the hand, 'I don't need 
you!' (1 Cor. 12:21). This is the 'I'm better than you syndrome,' which 
is also prideful. The fact is that in the Body of Christ no one is to 
look up to, or down upon, another. We are all to look to Christ as the 
Head and work to serve one another with the gifts we have received.

In an orchestra there are hundreds of individual instruments, each of 
which sound, look, and operate differently. Their ability to make 
beautiful music depends upon the musicians taking their lead from the 
conductor. In the same manner, in the Body of Christ our diversity can 
demonstrate the beauty of God's grace when we all serve one another with 
our various gifts of grace, taking our lead from Christ, the Head.

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