Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. // Acts 6:3-4
The Body of Christ has many disciples, along with many different roles that must be filled. There are many members and needs and many jobs for these members to do.
I love the image of the early followers realizing that new roles were needed to meet all the different needs. Even when the numbers were smaller, there were a variety of tasks that had to be performed. It wasn’t just one type of service that would solve all of the Church’s problems.
And so it is today, all these years later. The Body of Christ still has a range of needs, still requires a range of gifts and abilities so that God’s people (all His people) can be cared for physically and spiritually.
In those early days, the Apostles recognized that some leaders could meet specific needs, which would free up other leaders to meet other needs. In order to get the whole of the job done, each person would do what he must.
It’s very easy to compare, to look around and see what someone else is doing and feel threatened by the difference. But like the earliest Apostles, we are each armed with different skills that will meet different needs.
There is so much freedom and joy in being who God created each one of us to be, in using the gifts He has given us and in recognizing with delight what He has given those around us. If we see ourselves as a part of the Body—and not the whole thing on our own—we can truly celebrate not just our differences, but the beauty in those around us.
Thank You Lord for Your diverse Body. Give us the wisdom to use the gifts You have given us. Give us a deep security in who You have created each one of us to be, and a love for those You have called us to serve.
Rachel Balducci has a Masters degree from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia and teaches at Augusta University. She and her husband Paul have five sons and one daughter and are part of an intentional Christian community in Augusta, Georgia. Rachel is the author of several books and is the co-host of The Gist of CatholicTV. Find out more about her here.
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