Daily Devotions for Saturday, January 24, 2026: One Body, Many Gifts: Holiness in the Ordinary

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The Daily Devotional

Saturday, January 24, 2026

One Body, Many Gifts: Holiness in the Ordinary

“But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” — Ephesians 4:7

Introduction

Today marks Day 7 of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Our focus turns to the gifts given to us in baptism—unique graces meant to build up the one Body of Christ. By divine coincidence, today (January 24th) is also the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, a Bishop and Doctor of the Church who championed the idea that the spiritual life is not reserved for the elite, but is available to everyone in the midst of ordinary life. As we reflect on Christian unity, St. Francis offers us a key to living together in harmony: understanding that our distinctiveness is not a flaw, but a design.

Reflection

It is easy to misunderstand the concept of "unity." We often mistake it for "uniformity," thinking that for the Church to be one, we must all look, think, and act exactly the same. But the Apostle Paul reminds us that grace is given "according to the measure of Christ's gift," implying a vast array of different measures and distinct purposes.

Consider a large, neighborhood potluck dinner. If every single neighbor brought a green bean casserole, the table would be uniform, but the meal would be a disaster. The joy and richness of the event come specifically from the diversity on the table—the main dishes, the sides, the desserts, the drinks. The success of the dinner relies on the fact that the baker didn't try to be the grill-master, and the grill-master didn't try to make the salad. They trusted their contribution was enough.

In our spiritual lives, we often fall into the trap of comparison. We see a brother or sister in Christ with a loud, public gift of preaching or leadership, and we devalue our own quiet gift of hospitality, administration, or prayer. This breeds competition and division.

St. Francis de Sales famously wrote, "Be who you are, and be that well." This is a radical call to end spiritual jealousy. When we accept that our diversity is God-given, we stop viewing others as rivals. The hand does not envy the eye; it realizes it needs the eye to do its job. Holiness is found not in doing "great" things that get attention, but in doing our specific, small things with great love. When we embrace our own identity in Christ, we free our neighbors to be themselves, and that is where true unity begins.

Application

Today, pay attention to the "small" tasks in your routine—your emails, your house chores, your conversations. Instead of viewing them as mundane, see them as your specific station of service to God today.

Furthermore, catch yourself if you feel a twinge of jealousy or judgment toward another Christian’s differing gifts or style of worship. Instead of critiquing them, consciously thank God for the variety He has placed in His Kingdom. Ask yourself: How can my specific gift support theirs, rather than compete with it?

Conclusion

Diversity in unity is the unique power of the Church. We are drawn together by the Holy Spirit not to erase our differences, but to harmonize them. Like a choir of different voices or a feast of different flavors, our individual gifts are meant to complement one another. When we follow the wisdom of St. Francis de Sales and strive to be who God created us to be, we strengthen the whole Body.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit in the one baptism, you have bestowed wonderful graces and multiple gifts upon us for the sake of building up your Body, the Church. Grant us now the willingness to fully appreciate the richness of their diversity and use them fully to further the spread of the Gospel. In your name we pray. Amen.

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Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA

The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible, copyright © 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.