Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming: in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that—except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed. a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed "charlie horses" from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own was to get there.
The obvious moral of the story is a simple one- each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel – unless it is expected or forced to fill a mold that doesn't fit. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt bring overall mediocrity or complete defeat. A duck is a duck – and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or fly and certainly not to climb. A squirrel is a squirrel – and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel nuts. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race. The rabbit will win every time unless, of course, the eagle gets hungry. What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family; both the family of believers and the family under your roof. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. It was He who planned and designed the differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body. So concerned was He that we realize this. He spelled it out several times in His final will and testament. Please take the time to read the thirty-two verses of I Corinthians 12 slowly and aloud.
Let's summarize some of these compelling truths: God has placed you in His family and given you a certain mixture that makes you unique. No mixture is insignificant! That mix pleases Him completely. Nobody else is exactly like you. That should bring you pleasure, too. When you operate in the realm of capabilities, you will excel, the whole Body will benefit, and you will experience incredible satisfaction. When others operate in their realm, balance, unity, and health automatically occur in the Body. But when you compare…or force…or entertain expectations that are beyond your or others' God-given capabilities, mediocrity or frustration or phoniness or total defeat is predictable. If God made you a duck saint – you're a duck, friend. Swim like mad, but don't get bent out of shape because you wobble when you run or flap instead of fly. Furthermore, if you're an eagle saint, stop expecting squirrel saints to soar, or rabbit saints to build the same kind of nests you do.
So relax. Enjoy your spiritual species. Cultivate you own capabilities, your own style. Appreciate the members of your family or your fellowship for who they are, even though their outlook or style may be miles different from yours. Rabbits don't fly. Eagles don't swim. Ducks look funny trying to climb. Squirrels don't have feathers. Stop comparing. Enjoy being you! There's plenty of room in the forest.