Christ himself gave some to be the apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph. 4:11-12 NKJ and NIV).

My sons are best buddies, even though they are very different personalities. One is a deliberate thinker; the other a spontaneous adventurer. 

Their distinctive personalities came out when we built a backyard swing set with a tall slide. One of my sons went to the slide, stood aside to measure its height, and then climbed carefully up the steps to get the best angle of descent to the adjoining sandpile. 

The other son donned his roller skates and leaped to the top of the slide to achieve maximum velocity! 

 Without one of our sons, life would have been a lot more dangerous; without the other life would have been a lot less exciting. Without one, there would be fewer Ph.D. degrees in our house; without the other, there would be fewer mountaintops in our lives. 

These two men remain best friends and, when they are working together, our family experiences are the absolute best!  

That’s what our Lord intends for the family of God, also. He provides unique personalities, using our diversity for experiencing and sharing the gospel in ways we could not as individuals. 

The Apostle Paul writes, “To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Eph 4:7). Embracing this wisdom makes the body of Christ the amazing instrument of grace God intends.  

Prayer:
Jesus, help me to discover the gifts you have given me and to appreciate those you have given others, as you build up the body of Christ for the full reach of the gospel.