The Body of Christ

"Christianity thinks of human individuals not as mere members of a group or items in a list, but as organs in a body--different from one another and each contributing what no other could. When you find yourself wanting to turn your children, or pupils, or even your neighbours, into people exactly like yourself, remember that God probably never meant them to be that. You and they are different organs, intended to do different things. On the other hand, when you are tempted not to bother about someone else's troubles because they are 'no business of yours', remember that though he is different from you he is part of the same organism as you." Mere Christianity

Because I am a unique member of the Body of Christ it is important that I not compare myself to any other member.

The Apostle Paul wrote: "Now the body is not made up of one part but many. 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. 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. If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be." (1 Corinthians 12:14-18)

So we must not try, as C. S. Lewis says, to make over other people in our image, but we must also avoid comparing ourselves to others, or putting ourselves down because we have not accomplished what others have done. Each of us are absolutely unique creations of God and he has us right where he wants us.

As someone once said, "Humility is the belief that you are incomparable." And you are. You are incapable of being compared to any other person. Pride comes in when we compare. Likewise, low self-esteem comes in when we compare ourselves to others. So we must come to the point in life where we realize that we cannot compare ourselves to anyone else--either to raise ourselves higher than others--or to put ourselves down.

You and God together are writing a unique story which is your life. It would be boring, after all, if your story was the same as someone else's story. So accept, celebrate and live out your God-given uniqueness. And allow others to do the same.

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Will Vaus

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