1 Corinthians 12:4-7 – Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

1 Corinthians 12:11 – But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

People are different before they are saved and people are very different after they are saved.  We don’t all go through the same experiences, trials and sin before we are saved and we don’t go through the same ones after.  Some people are outgoing and loud.  Some people are reserved and quiet.  God made each of us unique and individuals.  The passage in I Corinthians 12 is talking about spiritual gifts primarily.  The only thing that is the same about our Christian experience is we have the same Spirit, the same God and the same Body.  Beyond that there is very little that is similar.

First, there is a difference in administration or the way God distributes gifts to those in the Body.  We are not all pastors and we don’t need to be.  You are not a second class citizen of heaven if you are “just” a church member.  God can pick who he wants.  In any colony of bees, there is only one queen and a lot of worker bees.  You need money to run a church.  The Pastor is living off the tithes of the church, much like the queen bee lives off the worker bees.  The worker bees need to bring tithes into the store house or hive or the queen bee dies of starvation just like your pastor would if you quit tithing.  There are other administrations in the church as well but all have a purpose and a place.

Next, there is a difference in operations or in the process of how things are carried out in God’s work.  We don’t all use the same exact approach to how we witness, what we read, how we pray, how we walk with God, etc.  Every pastor does not run his church the same way.  God did not make a bunch of robots.  He made individuals.  We are different because God wanted us that way.  How you were brought up strongly affects how you go about things and operate.  That does not make some people right (you know, the ones that think just like you) and some people wrong (the ones that think way different than you).  God is okay with our different operations so we should be okay with other people’s ways of going about things as long as they line up with the Word of God.

Last of all, there is a difference of manifestation or how the Spirit makes himself known or reveals himself in people.  Sometimes people are wise and have horse sense.  Sometimes people are very knowledgeable but don’t always know how to put it into motion.  You need a good machinist and a good engineer if you are going to make a fast car.  You need different abilities to make a good church.  You need administrators, you need pastors, you need teachers, you need carpenters, you need website designers, you need audio-visual people, you need prayer warriors, you need greeters and you need people who can talk to people.  You need aisle runners and you need quiet people.  You need shouters and you need silent prayer partners.  You need them all.

So, if you are getting frustrated because people are so different from you, remember God likes variety.  He likes those people just the way they are.  Maybe you need his mind and let him administer, operate and manifest himself the way he wants through His people in His body, the way he sees fit.