Interchangeable Cogs

I was watching a Tigers game the other night against the Chicago White Sox.  The Chicago pitcher was James Shields who they recently acquired through a trade with San Diego.  It was not going well for the Chicago pitcher.  In his couple of starts since the trade he had given up a number of runs and the crowd was none to happy.  So this got me thinking.  Why would everyone expect that things would go well right away.

Imagine if your boss came to you one day and said that you are being transferred across the country. Today.  If you go home and pack, you should be able to make your plane.  I know professional athletes are well compensated for this way of life, but he is still a human being.  We can't expect that we can pluck a person from here, drop them there and have no hiccups.  But so often, that is exactly what we do.

Human beings are complex,  We can often think about one aspect of a personality and ignore all of the ways that external influences can change how we do what we do.  Fun Fact:  There is a federal law that requires all states to develop a plan for moving their most highly rated teachers to the schools with the most needy students.  Another Fun Fact:  I don't think that any state actually developed a plan, and I am sure that no state ever implemented one.  And why would they?

As people we all come with an assortment of strengths and weaknesses.  The traits that makes me successful in a rural high school may not transfer to a large suburban or inner city school.  There is no reason to suspect that this would work.  

I know that other professions do this as well.  Many people speak of the "Peter Principle".  This is the idea that people are moved into a position because they were successful at the last position.  It is like saying that because I have been a successful teacher, then I should be made principal, when they are really very different jobs.  According to the Peter Principle, people are promoted until they are in a job that they are ill suited for and do not perform well.

Each of us has a role to play.  God blesses each of us with the fruit of the spirit, but beyond that there we have areas of talents and passions in which we thrive.  Many churches speak of "knowing our spiritual gifts".  Each Christian is called to use our gift for the greater mission of the church, to show God's love for the people of the world through us.

Look at this passage from the book of Romans - Chapter 12

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

We all have a role to play.  Each of us.  We are not interchangeable cogs in a great machine, but rather people with unique abilities specially gifted for a purpose.  The kingdom of God and all of humanity is for the better when we each use our abilities where we are called.