“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.”
1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (KJV)
A STORY TO OPEN THE HEART
In a small riverside community, there lived two men whose paths seemed destined to collide. One was a gifted boat builder named Akanu, whose hands understood wood the way a musician understands strings. The other was Obinna, a fisherman whose intuition of water currents was so precise that elders said the river whispered secrets only to him.
At first, tension grew between them. Akanu accused Obinna of damaging his boats through reckless use. Obinna accused Akanu of building vessels unsuited for the river’s temperament. Words hardened. Friends took sides. The village feared rivalry would turn into hostility.
One season, the river rose unexpectedly. Boats capsized. Nets were lost. Hunger loomed. In the crisis, something remarkable happened. Akanu studied the river with Obinna. Obinna explained currents Akanu had never noticed. Akanu redesigned the boats. Obinna adjusted his fishing patterns. The new boats cut through the river effortlessly. The nets returned full. The village survived.
Only then did they understand: their callings had never been rivals. They were complementary expressions of one purpose, life, provision, and continuity. What clashed was not calling, but misunderstanding.
I. THE NATURE OF CALLING: A FOUNDATION OF PURPOSE
A calling is not ambition dressed in sacred language. It is not desire seeking applause. A true calling is alignment between who a person is and what they are meant to do.
When something is genuine, it fits naturally into the order of life. It does not force itself into spaces that do not belong to it. Conflict arises when people abandon their place and attempt to occupy another’s ground.
Imitation breeds rivalry; authenticity produces harmony. A calling discovered does not need to compete; it only needs to be lived.
II. WHY PEOPLE THINK CALLINGS CLASH
Many conflicts attributed to calling are rooted in insecurity rather than purpose. When people are unsure of their place, difference begins to look like danger.
Comparison creates unnecessary tension. Instead of seeing variety as enrichment, the mind treats it as opposition. This is why people fight battles they were never assigned to fight.
Clarity removes rivalry. When a person understands their assignment, they stop measuring themselves against others.
III. THE INNER EFFECT OF AUTHENTIC PURPOSE
When people operate within what they were truly made for, certain qualities naturally appear:
Stability without arrogance
Confidence without hostility
Joy without comparison
Persistence without envy
Such individuals are not threatened by another person’s progress. Fulfilment anchors them. They know that another person’s success does not cancel their own journey.
Restlessness and aggression often signal misalignment rather than opposition.
IV. ONE SOURCE, MANY EXPRESSIONS
True callings do not originate from confusion. They flow from one divine source, expressed in many forms. What comes from God does not contradict itself.
Scripture presents purpose as shared harmony, not isolated struggle. Each role exists to support the whole. When one part tries to replace another, disorder follows.
Unity does not require sameness. It requires faithfulness to one’s role.
V. WHEN CALLINGS APPEAR TO COLLIDE
At times, callings seem to overlap. Two leaders. Two teachers. Two vision-bearers. Yet overlap is not collision, it is often a test of character.
Such moments reveal the heart:
Will pride demand superiority?
Will fear provoke division?
Or will humility discover cooperation?
Light does not cancel light. When genuine, it multiplies brightness.
VI. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CALLING AND POSITION
Positions are limited. Callings are not.
Many struggles arise because people chase positions instead of purpose. When position becomes the goal, rivalry is inevitable. When purpose leads, position becomes secondary.
A calling can function without recognition, without a title, and without permission. Its strength lies in obedience, not visibility.
VII. MATURITY AS EVIDENCE OF GENUINE CALLING
Authentic calling produces maturity. It teaches patience, respect, and restraint. It does not rush to prove itself.
Those who are secure in their calling do not rush to displace others. They understand that growth takes time and that fruit appears in its season.
Depth eliminates noise. Roots silence rivalry.
VIII. COMMUNITY AND THE BALANCE OF PURPOSE
No community thrives on one gift alone. Progress requires variety.
Builders, planners, teachers, leaders, workers, all are necessary. When one role claims superiority, imbalance follows. When each role is honoured, strength emerges.
Every genuine calling answers a specific need. Needs differ; therefore, callings must differ.
IX. HEALING AND THE END OF CONFLICT
Often, what clashes is not calling but wounded identity. When the inner life is restored, perspective changes.
Healed people do not compete unnecessarily. They collaborate freely. They celebrate others without feeling diminished.
Wholeness removes the hunger to fight for relevance.
X. A FINAL INVITATION TO DISCERNMENT
Do not ask, “Who is ahead of me?”
Ask, “Am I faithful to what I was given?”
When alignment replaces ambition, peace replaces pressure. When purpose replaces pride, unity replaces rivalry.
Callings do not clash when they are genuine, because truth recognises truth, purpose honours purpose, and destiny makes room for destiny.
CLOSING WISDOM
African Proverb: states
“The sun does not quarrel with the moon; each shines when it is time.”
Shine in your time.
Honour others in theirs.
The sky is wide enough for every true light.
