When You Doubt Your Gifting

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?”

1 Corinthians 12:18-19

When I was in sixth grade, I wanted to take art classes, but I ended up in drama. I had no desire to be on stage or speak in front of anyone. In fact, when it came time to audition for the school play (The Wizard of Oz), I tried out for the part that had one line.

When the cast list was posted, I was shocked to find my name near the top of the list, cast as “The Cowardly Lion.” That’s not what I signed up for! I protested to my teacher, but she insisted that I was the right person for the role. She somehow saw potential in me when I definitely did not.

Before the year was complete, I discovered something that I loved and that I was surprisingly good at, and it ended up being a huge part of my life through the remainder of my school years. I would have totally missed this if someone hadn’t been willing to see my potential and encourage me in it.

It’s so easy for us to doubt ourselves, isn’t it? We so easily see the gifts in others, but when we look at ourselves we tend to see only shortcomings. We either wish we could do something as well as someone else, or we quickly take the backseat and let someone we have deemed more qualified take the wheel.

But that’s not how God designed the body of Christ to function. A body is comprised of many parts! Everyone can’t be the left hand or right shoulder. And we aren’t getting very far if the big toe is missing. The Body needs all of its parts to function well. And we function well by trusting in who He has made us and the gifts He has given us, and using them for His glory.

The most important thing to remember is the body is nothing without its head - its source. We get to function as the body because we have  Jesus. He is the head. He provides the means for us to do all that we do. If He has called you to it, He empowers you to do it.

God doesn’t make mistakes in His designs. You don’t have to question or compare. He is asking you to trust Him to be the one to work through you. You get the opportunity to experience and then express His life and love to those around you, whether you’re a big toe or an elbow. We need every part!