Gifts Are Incomplete

When I first got married, my husband and I decided one night we would go to the store and buy a puzzle to do together. Oh, the romantic things you do when you first get married! We perused the plethora of puzzles and finally chose one that was not too easy, not too hard. We got home and began the tedious task of sorting the pieces, by sides and by color. Each piece was tiny but important. If we lost just one the entire puzzle would be incomplete and useless. No one wants an incomplete puzzle, not even in a yard sale.

In the passage above, Paul was talking to the believers in Corinth. They had lived their entire lives in an ungodly society, and they had little understanding of what God’s ways were or how He wanted His people to function in society. In his letter to them, Paul tried to help the Corinthians understand their dependence on God and on each other.

The Lord says in His Word that He has given each of us a spiritual gift. There is no use in denying it. It is for the purpose of building up the church, each other, and the kingdom of God. We are puzzle pieces. We belong to a bigger picture and if just one of us is not using the gift He has given us, the picture is not finished. You influence everyone around you with your gifts, your personality, and your life. Your gifts encourage, teach, and help those whose lives are involved with yours. The Lord designed life to be this way. He created us incomplete for His purposes. By being incomplete by ourselves we realize that we need each other. Many people prize independence, but it is a worldly and flawed goal. The Lord wants us to realize His plan is for us to love and depend on Him and each other. There is no independence in God’s kingdom.

Lord, please reveal any gifts that I am not using. Give me opportunities to use all of my gifts for the benefit of others in the body. In Jesus’ name, amen.