…no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
–1 Corinthians 12:3–13 ESV
My dad was my basketball coach when I was a kid until I started playing for my school team as a teenager. He was such a great coach and worked so hard that one might think he was drawing the salary of an NBA coach. He’s always been a great leader, and his leadership of my childhood teams made for some great seasons. My routine on most Saturdays was to watch the movie Hoosiers (the greatest movie of all time) before my game for inspiration. Dad and I can quote every line of that movie. I’m pretty sure he even used some of Gene Hackman’s lines while he was coaching from the sidelines.
I have vivid memories of “draft day,” which kicked off each basketball season. That was when all the kids who signed up to play in the local recreation league showed up at the gym. The league directors stuck a piece of tape with a number on our backs. Then all of us (one at a time) dribbled down the court, shot a layup, a free throw, and another shot or two.
All the coaches (including my dad) sat on the sidelines with their pencils and clipboards, making meticulous notes about each player. Honestly, they didn’t get a lot of information to inform their draft choices – a few dribbles and a few shots. Of course, they would make other notes as well, usually about height or strength. I was fairly tall, but basically the width of a broomstick. I fouled out of half the games I ever played, trying to get rebounds and blocks against players stronger (and sometimes taller) than me. I often had more fouls than points!
After every player tried out, we were all dismissed, and the draft began among the coaches. Each coach set out to build the best team possible from the players that were available when their time came to make their next selection. There were specific roles they were trying to fill. They needed at least one player who could dribble with confidence and protect the ball well against defenders. They needed at least one good shooter, hopefully more than one. While offense was important, they also needed players who were fast and could play solid defense when the time came. Of course, every coach wanted some height on the team for rebounding, shot blocking, and the crucial jump ball that took place at the beginning of the game.
As the draft went on, it wasn’t a given that the best available player would be chosen next. The coaches made their decisions based on who they needed to build the best team. They didn’t need ten players who all had the same strengths. Ten great point guards won’t help you get rebounds if they’re all the short players (in case you’re not a basketball fan and you’re about to give up on this illustration, the point guard is the one who dribbles the most!). Likewise, ten tall players might help you get a lot of rebounds, but it doesn’t help you get the ball down the court if none of them are very good at dribbling the ball.
These memories come to mind every time I read this passage. In the Kingdom of God, however, our Coach is much more than a coach. He’s also the One who created us, saved us, and gave us gifts for His glory. He designed each of us for a unique purpose, as a part of His perfect plan, and masterfully places us with other believers to serve Him together.
The world of music gives us many examples of this reality. Think of the orchestra. Each instrument plays (literally!) a specific role to create one unified and beautiful sound together. Part of being an orchestrator is knowing what each instrument can bring to a composition: its range, dynamic ability, and tone, to name a few qualities. Think of the choir. Each singer, with their own unique vocal quality, comes together with the rest to create a truly special sound. In a worship-leading context, God takes the gifts of the musicians, connects them to each other, and uses them to encourage a congregation to draw near to Christ through worship.
This passage offers several great reminders. First, it reminds us to be thankful for how the Lord has gifted us, knowing that the Maker is perfect in every way. His perfection includes how He made us and how He has gifted us.
Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” That’s right! The Lord’s works are wonderful – and that includes you and your gifts! Of course, we always want to continue learning and growing in our giftedness. That’s actually a wonderful way to show your gratitude to the Lord: by working to grow and improve in His honor.
Second, this passage reminds us to celebrate how the Lord has gifted others. The passage above says that all of us are gifted by “one and the same” Holy Spirit. And since the Holy Spirit is perfect, we can be confident that He has taken the same perfect care gifting other believers as He did when gifting us. Celebrating the Lord’s perfect stewardship of gifts is the greatest way to combat the distraction of comparison. The enemy will steal your joy under the banner of comparison. Cheering on your brothers and sisters in Christ as they serve with their gifts is a great way to maintain joy while serving through your own gifts.
I feel very blessed to have served under some wonderful leaders over the past 25 years at my local church. Leaders who have truly mastered the art of building church staff teams. They don’t just consider the skill of the individual, but how that individual relates to the other members of the team. Camaraderie, collaboration, and mutual respect are on level ground alongside competence.
What a privilege to serve together with other believers under the leadership of a perfect Coach. He is so patient with His imperfect players as we learn to listen, learn, and grow in the gifts He has so lovingly given us.
