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Playing youth soccer, I desperately wanted to play defense.

I begged my coach to let me switch from midfielder to defender, but he repeatedly denied my request. “We need your strong legs at midfield, Emily,” he kindly told me, which led me to peer upon the defenders with childish envy.

While my stubbornness initially prevented me from recognizing it, I soon realized my coach had positioned me where my skills would be best utilized for my team’s success. It may not have been the position I wanted to play or the position I thought I was best fitted for, but it was the position my coach—and team—needed me to play.

As members of the body of Christ, we each have a designated function. To properly execute that function, we have been equipped with specific skills and gifts out of God’s abundant grace. While our gifts and abilities differ, they are important and fine-tuned to fulfill God’s purpose on earth.

Just as my coach placed me where I was needed, based on my strong legs and ability to move the ball upfield, so God knows and positions us where we are needed based on the capabilities He has given us. While we may not be in the position we want or think best, God is the all-loving and all-knowing coach and knows where we need to be to act as effective team players of the ultimate team: the body of Christ.

Our job is to respect and appreciate the gifts God has given us and to fight the temptation to envy the gifts He has given others and the place He has positioned them.

Trust God to help you recognize and develop your gifts and to guide you to your proper position so you can be an effective member of His team.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)