“Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.” (1 Corinthians 12:14)
St. Paul uses the imagery of a human body — something we can all relate to. Every single part of our body has a role, even the bits that surgeons can remove without causing too many problems. (Just what are tonsils or adenoids useful for?) Different body parts seem to get used more often, and there are usually some parts we like more than others. It doesn’t matter what part it is: If anything is missing, the whole body suffers from its loss.
The Christian body is called the church, and unlike the denominational bodies we construct, the true Christian church is that which the Holy Spirit calls and gathers into the one body of Jesus Christ, who remains the head. As St. Paul wrote earlier in this chapter, every Christian is given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God may also give us different skills and abilities to serve as part of the body of Jesus here on earth.
Can you play music to support the worship of your local congregation? Are you good at welcoming people? Maybe you are good at explaining God’s word to those exploring the Christian faith. You could be one of those precious people who get into the menial tasks nobody really likes to do, but you recognize that they still need to be done. What you do is never as important as where you put your trust. Do you trust Jesus to lead the church as our head? Then that is enough for whatever work God has given you to do to be valued and important.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for calling and equipping me as part of the body of Jesus. Please give me strength, courage and endurance for the work you have given me. Help me support others so we build up the one body of Jesus together, serving the world today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
