This year we’re collaborating with writers across the Augustine Collective, a network of student-led Christian journals, to bring you a series of short devotional articles during this season of Lent, the 40-day period prior to Easter. Find this series also published by Cornell’s Claritas and UC Berkeley’s TAUG.
“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:15-20)
I was recently asked to reflect on what has been my “most significant contribution to the University of Virginia.” I conjured a response that detailed my community service efforts, my academic pursuits, and my local activism—achievements that seemed to fit the societal mold. But before my brain entered ‘success’ mode, I found myself drawn to something deeper: the relationships I’ve built and nurtured over the past three years. I pour infinitely more into those bonds than any of my other pursuits. The moment I realized I had disregarded my personal view of success—throwing it away to cater to societal expectations—was the moment I recognized my need to pause and reflect.
The next weekend, while on a retreat, myself and a room full of discerning college students heard this passage read from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, reminding us of the value of our distinct, God-given strengths and gifts. As we looked around the room, we began to see our differences not as divisive barriers but as God’s vision for us. Before the retreat, I had been wrestling with feelings of comparison, wishing I were more disciplined or responsible like some of my friends. But now, I began to understand that God’s version of success for me wasn’t about striving to mirror others. Instead, it might lie in realizing my own strengths and gifts—and using them for His glory.
This realization didn’t mean that my efforts to grow in discipline or responsibility were wasted. But it did challenge me to reconsider how much energy I was spending trying to overcome weaknesses at the expense of embracing my God-given strengths. Perhaps true success isn’t found in exhausting ourselves to fit a mold but in trusting that our unique qualities are part of God’s plan.
The University often seems to elevate certain talents or traits as more valuable than others. But when we look at God’s vision for our achievement, we see something different: success happens in community. We achieve when we lean on others for their strengths and admit our own shortcomings. When we embrace God’s guidelines for success, we free ourselves from society’s impossible expectations and step confidently into our role within “the body.”
My strengths shine in the dim-lit hallway late at night giving advice to a friend. What about you—where do your strengths shine?
Lord, help me to be more attuned to the gifts you gave me. Help me to realize the unique qualities that do not just set me apart from others but can be valuable if realized and used to Your glory.
Peyton Rabb is a junior at the University of Virginia who appreciates live music and sunset more than most. The University of Virginia is home to Bearings, a journal of Christian thought and member journal of the Augustine Collective.
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