Same Hand Different Notes

Why We Don’t Have to Compete in the Body of Christ

Yesterday I ended Part One by telling you about something that happened while I was teaching a friend to play the piano.

At the time, it was simply a piano lesson. I was showing her which fingers to use for different notes. But later that night, I started thinking about it again and suddenly saw the Body of Christ in a whole new way.

Every finger on my hand is a finger. They are all the same kind of body part, yet when I play the piano, they don’t all do exactly the same thing. One finger plays one note, another reaches another note, and sometimes several work together to form a chord.

They are all fingers, but they have different positions and functions.

We often use First Corinthians 12 to talk about how the eye is different from the hand or the foot is different from the ear. Paul shows us that the Body has many different parts and every part is needed.

But what about when there is more than one of the same kind of part?

What happens when there is more than one apostle in the same church? What happens when there are several prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers?

Why do we sometimes act as though only one person can carry a particular calling? Why does someone else carrying a similar grace suddenly become competition?

I have experienced this myself.

There was a time when I was part of a church where I knew God had called me apostolically, and there was someone else there who also recognized an apostolic calling. My thought was that we could work together. There was room for both of us.

But somewhere along the way, it began to feel as though there had to be one person who was “the apostle.” Another friend observing the situation even commented that it looked like both of us wanted to be the apostle.

And I remember thinking, Why does there have to be only one?

Sometimes church culture can almost start sounding like, “Will the real apostle please stand up?”

But maybe we are asking the wrong question.

Maybe the better question is, “Will the apostles please work together?”

Why do we have to prove who is the most anointed, most qualified, most spiritual, or most legitimate person in the room?

First Corinthians 12:4–6 tells us that there are different gifts, ministries, and activities, but the same Spirit and the same God working through them all. Even when two people carry a similar office or gift, that does not mean their assignment will look exactly the same.

Two apostles may both carry apostolic grace, but one may be especially strong in building worship ministry while another may carry a burden for prayer, discipleship, leadership development, outreach, or church planting.

Two prophets may both hear from God, but one may be especially strong in encouraging and strengthening individuals while another may carry insight for leadership, intercession, a region, or broader ministry direction.

Two evangelists may both burn to see people saved, but one may have a heart for the streets of their own town, another may be drawn to hospitals or prisons, and another may carry a burden for the nations.

Two pastors may both shepherd people, but one may have a special grace for families while another works particularly well with new believers, hurting people, seniors, young adults, or another group.

Two teachers may both love Scripture, yet one may be especially gifted in foundational discipleship while another may excel in deeper biblical study, leadership development, or practical application.

They may carry the same type of calling without carrying the exact same assignment.

They are like different fingers on the same hand.

Same kind of part. Different position. Different note.

This is why I believe we need to stop looking at the Church like opposing teams on a basketball court or football field. On opposing teams, my goal is to beat you. If you score, it hurts my team. If I win, you lose.

That is not how the Body of Christ is supposed to work.

We should be more like a symphony.

In a symphony, two violins do not fight over which one is the real violin. Two trumpets do not have to prove which one is more legitimate. Multiple musicians may even play the same instrument while carrying different parts of the music.

Sometimes they play together. Sometimes one plays while another rests. Sometimes one carries the melody while another provides harmony. Nobody wins by drowning everyone else out.

The music becomes beautiful because they listen to one another and follow the same conductor.

Jesus is our Conductor.

First Corinthians 3 gives us another picture. The believers in Corinth had begun dividing themselves around leaders. Some said they were of Paul and others said they were of Apollos. Paul responded by pointing them back to God. In First Corinthians 3:6 he said, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

Paul had a part. Apollos had a part. Neither was the whole thing.

God gave the increase.

That is how ministry should work.

One person may plant something in someone’s life. Another may water it. Someone else may help develop it. Another may come along years later and help that person step into something new.

Why would we compete over who gets the credit?

If another apostle is stronger than I am in a certain area, praise God. Maybe I need what they carry. If another teacher understands something better than I do, I can learn from them. If another worship leader can do something I cannot do, that does not diminish what God placed inside me. If another prophet sees something I missed, maybe that is exactly why God put them there. If another evangelist reaches people I would never reach, that is not competition.

That is the Body working.

We have to become secure enough in what God has called us to do that somebody else’s gift does not make us question our own.

Someone else shining does not make your light dimmer.

Someone else carrying a similar calling does not cancel yours.

There is room in the Body.

But working together does not mean everybody does everything. We still need to learn each other’s strengths. If there are several apostles in a ministry, what is each one especially graced to build? If there are several prophets, what areas has God developed in each of them? If there are several evangelists, where is each one called to go? If there are several pastors, who are the people each one naturally carries a burden for? If there are several teachers, what subjects and groups are they particularly equipped to teach?

That is not ranking people.

That is recognizing function.

On a piano, my thumb is not inferior because it does not play the note assigned to another finger. It simply has another position.

If every finger tried to play the same note at the same time, I would not have beautiful music.

I would have a mess.

Sometimes I wonder if that is what happens in church. We all crowd toward the same microphone, title, position, or visible role while other parts of the keyboard remain untouched.

What if instead we asked, “Where has God positioned me? What note am I supposed to play? What area am I supposed to build? Who am I supposed to serve? What strength has God developed in me that complements what He has placed in someone else?”

This also means leaders have to be willing to make room for people to develop.

A prophet needs room to grow in discernment, accountability, wisdom, and learning how to communicate what they sense responsibly. First Corinthians 14:29 tells us to let prophets speak and let others weigh what is said.

An apostle needs opportunities to build.

An evangelist needs opportunities to evangelize.

A pastor needs people to care for.

A teacher needs opportunities to teach.

And again, not everybody is called into a five-fold office. There are people with gifts of mercy, administration, hospitality, encouragement, giving, leadership, creativity, craftsmanship, helps, service, intercession, music, and many other gifts.

They need room too.

The point is not to create a church full of people chasing titles.

The point is to create a Body where people discover what God has placed inside them and learn how to use it for the good of everyone else.

That brings me back to the puzzle picture from Part One. Your piece matters, but your piece does not become the whole picture just because it matters. Neither does mine.

My responsibility is to faithfully bring my piece.

Your responsibility is to faithfully bring yours.

Then we allow Jesus to fit the pieces together.

Philippians 2:3 tells us not to act through selfish ambition or conceit but in humility to value others.

There should not be this constant need to one-up each other in the Church. Who preached better? Who had the stronger prophetic word? Who has the bigger ministry? Who gets invited more often? Who has more followers? Who gets the microphone?

None of that tells us whether the Body is healthy.

The question is whether we are becoming more like Jesus and helping His Body mature.

I think some of our competition disappears when we understand that assignments can overlap without being identical.

There may be several apostles in one house and every one of them may be necessary. There may be several prophets and every one of them may see something important. There may be several evangelists reaching completely different groups of people. There may be several pastors carrying different people in their hearts. There may be several teachers, worship leaders, intercessors, administrators, and servants.

That is not necessarily overcrowding.

That can be fullness.

Maybe the problem isn’t that God put too many gifted people in the same room.

Maybe we simply haven’t learned how to play together yet.

That is why I love the picture of the symphony.

The violin does not need to become the trumpet. The trumpet does not need to silence the flute. The pianist does not need to play every instrument. Even two people playing the same instrument may have different parts in the same piece of music.

They simply need to know when to play, what part they carry, and how to listen to the Conductor.

That is what I believe the Church can become.

Not a room full of people fighting to be the star.

Not competing teams trying to win.

Not one person carrying everything while everybody else watches.

A symphony.

Many people. Many gifts. Many callings. Many parts.

One Body.

One Head.

One Conductor.

Jesus.

And when we finally learn to play together, maybe the world will hear the song the Church was created to carry.

Cynthia Prather
Eagles’ Awakening