Last Tuesday the new season of the Dutch parliament started with the king’s speech. The speech started with a reference to the achievements of the Dutch athletes at the Summer Olympics. We may be a tiny country, yet we may be proud of what we have achieved and can achieve – the message was something like that. It is a very common thing to base your identity on what you perform and achieve. However, there is a huge risk in that. What is your value, once you are not able to achieve so much? Are those who achieve much more than others of greater value than those who hardly seem to contribute anything? Thinking in worldly ways can easily creep into the minds of Christians, creep into the church and lead to dissension and trouble.

We read on in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Chapter 4:1-16). All Christians receive a portion and gift of the Holy Spirit. Yet, not all receive the same portion – says Paul in verse 7. Such a difference, not only as regards the kinds of gifts, but even as regards the amount of giftedness might easily lead to trouble. Either to boasting and pride, or to envy, to jealousy. It seems to make unity among Christians hard, if not impossible. The difficult and important question is why Christ does not distribute equal amounts of spiritual gifts. The answer Paul gives in this passage is – as we will see – perfectly satisfying and most encouraging.

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