April is the Month of Truth at A Beautiful Blog. Our stories this month will challenge you to face the lies in your life and seek the truth of God’s word to set your free.
by Leslee Stewart
My husband and I recently watched “Hugo,” the story of an orphaned boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s. Hugo has a talent for working with clocks and machines, something he learned from his father. But without any parents to guide him, he struggles to find his purpose in life.
There is a very poignant scene in the movie where Hugo and his friend, Isabelle, who is also an orphan, are perched atop the station clock tower, looking out over Paris. As Isabelle questions why her parents had to die and what her life is all about, Hugo says, “(Up here), I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.”
As I watched the rest of the movie and all throughout the next day, I couldn’t get Hugo’s comment out of my head – there are no extra parts.
My son loves Legos. He recently completed his first “big” Lego build – an over 600-piece police station. He was super proud (as he should be). And even though he followed all the step-by-step directions, there were still parts left over after the build was complete. My father-in-law jokes that when you put something together and you have extra parts left over, it just means you must be a better engineer than the person who originally designed the product.
In Romans 12, Paul shares that in God’s design for the world, there are no extra parts. God has given each of us a gift. Be it prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, or showing kindness , each person has a unique and specific gift.
Just like our bodies have many parts (feet, eyes, heart, spleen), and each part has its own specific job, so it is with those who believe in Christ. “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” (Rom. 12:5) Everyone has a function to fulfill in the Body of Christ and the goal is for each believer’s gift to work together.
Yet too often we allow doubt, anxiety or even pride get in the way of using our God-given gifts. We say, “If only I could sing….,” or, “They don’t need me….,” or, “I’m too important to be bothered…..” The interesting thing is people who have poor self-esteem and those who are conceited are actually quite similar. They both look at life through “me glasses,” using their own fears or desires as a filter to make decisions. To deny using your gift is to tell God you think you have a better design for your life than he does.
As believers, we have a responsibility to use our gifts. “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (I Cor. 12:7) When you use your gift, God will mature your faith, strengthen your hope, and make you more like him.
There are no extra parts. So, get up. Go. Serve. And play your part in the Body of Christ.
Leslee Stewart oversees communications for GFC Beautiful. She is a wife, stay-at-home mom of two boys and former communications executive. She openly admits she owns too many throw pillows, loves junky old furniture and can sing all the parts of Bohemian Rhapsody.