1 Corinthians 3

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (1 Corinthians 3:1-8 ESV)

I find myself at times being envious of other people's gifts and talents. (Why don't I have such abilities?) At other times I almost idolize certain teachers and leaders (Why don't I have such abilities?) Envy and strife, along with over-the-top admiration for human leaders both come from the same source.

Both are symptoms of a carnal mindset which refuses to see that God has given gifts as he sees fit, and placed people so that we all have something to contribute, but nobody contributes everything. All are needed. We don't need "Christian American Idols", and we need not look down on any gift or role we -- or somebody else -- might have. We're all part of the same glorious plan of God. Each has something to do. Each will receive reward.

• Who am I likely to idolize?
• Who am I likely to look down on?

btw, check out the NET Bible and the text notes.