READ: 1 SAMUEL 30:1-31; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27

God has given each of us a unique role to play in His kingdom. As Christians, we all have different spiritual gifts and different roles, and no one person is greater than any other. We’re all called to love one another and participate in the kingdom of God together.

We find an interesting illustration of this in 1 Samuel 30. An Amalekite raiding party attacked and burned Ziklag, and they captured the wives and children of David and his men. After weeping severely and asking God what to do, David and his 600 men pursued the Amalekites. But when they reached a valley, about 200 of them were too exhausted to keep going, so they stopped to rest and watch the supplies while David and the remaining 400 men continued their pursuit. They found the raiding party, fought them, and rescued their families and recovered everything that had been stolen. They also took the Amalekites’ livestock as plunder.

But when the 400 fighting men return to the 200 resting men, some of the fighting men didn’t want to share the plunder with those who hadn’t fought. But David said, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us… The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike” (1 Samuel 30:24). David determined that no role was greater than any other or deserved more plunder. Each role was important and needed, and David made sure everyone received God’s gift.

Today, we have all been given different roles in life, and each one is important. Maybe right now your roles include being a student, daughter or son, or friend. Someday you might be an employee or employer, spouse, or parent. It can be easy to be discontent with our role in life when we find ourselves longing to have a different role or be at a different place in our lives, or when we’re jealous of others. But we can be encouraged knowing God has purposeful work for us to do right where we are in life right now. And one of the most important roles all believers have is being ministers of reconciliation. Jesus died on the cross and rose again to save us and bring us into His kingdom, and now He calls us to share this good news. • Elizabeth Cooper

• What roles do you have right now? How could you faithfully serve God in those roles? Is there anyone in your life you can share the good news of Jesus with? (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 1 Corinthians 12:18 (NIV)