“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” John 6:9
Something enjoyable about growing older is seeing the unique gifts God knit in me and watching them unfold and develop. You know the things I'm talking about; it's those things that make me, “me” and you, “you.” God created all of us with individual gifts, quirks, and personalities for a specific reason, to show us the vastness of the God we serve. When we look around the Body of Christ, we see His love for details, the goodness of His heart, and His attributes on full display. What a gift it is to have such up close and personal moments with our Creator. Seeing these gifts has other benefits too; it reveals the parts of us that need to be sanctified before they can be utilized by God.
On a Friday afternoon, I was scheduled to have a lunch meeting with two other Christian women to go over an event we were planning. Naturally (and naively) I believed there would be no conflict. That version of reality quickly came to a halt when I realized the woman sitting across from me seemed to be just like me. Gifted in great ways but also overly direct and stubborn when not walking with the Spirit. This lunch quickly went from three sweet women to two stubborn women on mission for God with very different ideas on how it should be executed.
All of a sudden, I found myself feeling like this woman was stripping this event and any authority I thought I had from my hands. Pride, fear, and rejection began rising up within me. My gifts felt like they were being tossed to the wayside. By the grace of God, my feelings didn't overtake me. The Lord reminded me that He was the one with the authority, not me. And because of that, He sat me at a table to see the giftings and abilities of others.
It reminds me of the story in Scripture when Jesus feeds the 5,000. He used the meager gift that one boy had to offer. This boy was no better than the one sitting next to him; however, Jesus saw value in using him. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9). And there will be times when we are not going to be picked for the job, and we'll have to learn to be a believer who encourages the ones who are called to do the job we may want.
The gospel continues to meet me where I am again and again. I'm sure you feel the same. When we allow it to be a balm to our spirits, He shows us all over again that He is the one who gives us our gifts and calls us to use them. The gospel gives us a fresh perspective of how Jesus was to the world: humble, trustworthy, and loving. Apart from Christ, our giftings are merely just actions used for accolades or attention. He makes our gifts supernatural; He is the one who infuses His love into them. He continues to mend my stubborn heart and is shaping it into one that is quicker to listen and slower to speak, and a heart that desires to show grace rather than bulldoze.
Father, thank you for the gifts you've given us. I pray that I will steward my gifts well and have a humble heart when you call someone else to do the job I desired to use my gifts for. Help me, Lord, to see those around me as your unique masterpieces, made with great purpose for your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.
Looking for authentic conversations about how to deal with body image, insecurity, and comparison issues as a Christian woman? The Compared to Who? Podcast is the show for you! Twice a week, we tackle tough topics like dieting, disordered eating, weight loss, aging, body dysmorphia, and more from a practical, grace-filled, gospel-centered perspective.
Originally published Thursday, 15 February 2024.
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