I Need You & You Need Me
Years ago I was given this enlightening parable that highlights the way God uses distinctive gifts within His uniquely designed people.
Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school.
They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his webbed feet to be badly worn so that he became only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that…except the duck.
The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles, because of so much make-up work in swimming.
The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from a treetop down. His running improved, but his climbing grade dropped to below a C.
Now the eagle was a problem student and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there.
The moral of the story is a simple one: each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel…unless it is expected to perform in a role it struggles to carry out. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt can lead to mediocrity and defeat.
God has clearly placed within each of us different capabilities, aptitudes, and passions. In addition, He has given every believer divine enablements (spiritual gifts) to be used in special ways to serve others and build up the body of Christ. God teaches us, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
The Lord has chosen a multi-gifted volunteer-intensive organism called the body of Christ to advance His kingdom, and you and I get to be part of making an eternal impact on others.
God takes great delight in watching His church use its competencies, passions, and opportunities in active personal ministry.
Remember, rabbits don’t fly, eagles don’t swim, ducks are entertaining while trying to climb, so there is plenty of room in the forest for everyone, and we need each other.
Pastor Jeff