Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV)

In the past several years, I’ve been surprised to have multiple clients ask me to mentor and coach individuals on their teams. In many cases, these individuals are young people in the early stages of their careers and having their first experiences in management. In other cases, I’ve been asked to come alongside someone who is struggling in their role and system around them is experiencing pain as a result.

I have found through these experiences that sometimes individuals simply need help in managing their time, improving their organizational skills, or learning how to better communicate with team members who have different temperaments or communication styles. On occasion, however, I have helped people discover that they are in a job for which they are not suited. They are a square peg in a round hole, and the mismatch has negative ripple effects across the team and the broader system.

When I discover that an individual and their job are not a good fit, things typically go one of two ways. If my protégé is frustrated and struggling with the job, it can be fairly easy to help them see that it would be a win-win for them and the entire company, if I help them navigate to a different position that better suits their individual strengths and desires. If, however, my protégé is thoroughly convinced that they are, in fact, a round peg that fits perfectly in this round hole job and they have everything they need for the task, my job becomes far more challenging.

In today’s chapter, Paul addresses the concept of spiritual gifts. It’s fairly simple. When a person receives Christ the indwelling Spirit infuses them with a spiritual gift or gifts so that every believer can provide particular acts of service and work for the good of the whole. Paul famously uses the human body as a metaphor. Depending on our individual gifts, we may be a different part of the body (e.g. eye, ear, hand, foot, and etc), but all parts are necessary for the body to function as a whole in a healthy way.

The problem, of course, is phenomenon I’ve witnessed consistently in my experiences in different churches as well as my experiences working with different businesses. I see individuals convinced that they are an eye, a gifted eye, despite being blind to the fact that they are most definitely an elbow. A body in which all of the parts know and embrace their unique and essential role in the functioning of the body will operate smoothly. A system in which parts are ignorant regarding their gifts, demand that they are gifted in ways they are not, and refuse to embrace the ways in which they are actually gifted will continually struggle to exist and operate in a healthy way.

In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded of my post the other day in which I’ve observed the unique ways that Wendy is gifted and has a “many, not me” way of approaching all things. I have different gifts than she does and I operate differently. We have, however, done the work to recognize and know our different gifts, temperaments, and ways of operation. We have learned to embrace not only our own unique gifts but also the unique gifts of the other. When our differences create conflict (and boy do they sometimes create conflict) we have worked to extend grace to one another and consciously choose to remember that different is not wrong. The good things our giftedness brings to the relationship far outweigh the challenges that arise from our differences, but it requires both of us to honestly and humbly embrace our own gifts as well each other’s.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.