Growing up, we often worked on a jigsaw puzzle around the holidays. Family, and even visitors contributed time and effort toward the completion. A lost piece or the wag of a dog’s tail hitting the edge of the table, would send us scrambling for the missing pieces.
That image came to mind recently as our pastors concluded a wonderful teaching series on the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual gifts can be like puzzle pieces, needed desperately for the whole picture. Like everything Jesus did, His choice of disciples was intentional. The fact that two sets of brothers were His first four choices, His inner circle, was no accident.
These imperfect brothers who had labored together in their respective family fishing operations, had to have some level of leadership, administrative, serving and conflict resolution giftings (remember Sons of Thunder.) Jesus chose ordinary laborers, with little formal education, to launch the most important worldwide movement ever.
Yes, maybe they were rough around the edges. Maybe they didn’t snap into place instantly. But as he discipled them, they began to fit together, side by side, making that perfect picture of the early Christian church, His body with every joint supplying, every puzzle piece in place. He started with natural brothers and added spiritual brothers and sisters to form the family of God.
Yes, there will be some who don’t find their fit. But He will help us if we seek Him. Maybe there will be a little trial and error. Maybe there’ll be some maneuvering.
With His help, as we persist, we can move toward Him and bring others along with us. We can experience that satisfying click as our piece of the puzzle, our gifting, finds its place in Him.
Nan Robertson
~Christ Fellowship