Appreciation by Gary Rose

OH, PLEASE- bathroom humor??? Well, it got my attention, how about you? The thing is, we are all different. Many of us may have had many different jobs over the decades. Today, you may even find yourself doing a variety of tasks, some of which may be very unpleasant!  Remember changing diapers, taking out the trash or that business end of a dog walk?

In light of these things, perhaps gaining an understanding of ourselves in a changing world is a priority- and understanding others is its equal...

1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 (World English Bible)

 ⁴ Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  ⁵ There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. ⁶ There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all.  ⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.  ⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;  ⁹ to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit;  ¹⁰ and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.  ¹¹ But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires. 

  ¹² For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.  ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.  ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many.  ¹⁵ If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body.  ¹⁶ If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body.  ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?  ¹⁸ But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.  ¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be?  ²⁰ But now they are many members, but one body. (Emp. added vss. 15-20, GDR) ²¹ The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”  ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.  ²³ Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety;  ²⁴ whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,  ²⁵ that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.  ²⁶ When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

We each have our function in life and that task may change over time, so learn to appreciate the value of others (and your own as well). God will use us as he sees fit, so rejoice in whatever you are doing. Things could always be worse- remember the picture!!!