You Are A Vital Part Of The Body Of Christ
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in church? Whether it’s feeling out of place when greeted by a cheerful and enthusiastic greeter at the door while you’re having a rough morning and just aren’t in the mood, or watching the pastor confidently deliver a well-spoken message and thinking you could never do something like that, or even experiencing something in between. I know that I have definitely had moments in my Christian journey where I felt like I wasn’t good enough or lacked the talent to contribute to the church and to those around me. I’ve had many times where I felt discouraged that I was surrounded by people who were doing “big things” for the Kingdom of God, but I was only doing “small ones.” This is an easy cycle to fall into, but I love how Paul speaks to this in 1 Corinthians 12, through a metaphor using our very own bodies to help us understand!
It says, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ… Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!… All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” - 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-18, 27
Sometimes I find myself stuck in the feeling of frustration when I see someone who has a spiritual gift that I don’t have but that I desire. Paul actually mentions these gifts a bit earlier, starting verse 7 and ending in verse 11, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
These passages of Scripture encourage me because it’s a great reminder that I have a vital place in the body of Christ and that I can be confident in the spiritual gifts that He has given me. I may not be “an eyeball,” but I very well could be “an ear,” and both are needed for the body to function! Paul also reminds us that, “God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us (verse 6).” I am so thankful that I get to serve a God who values each and every single one of His children and wants each of us to possess the spiritual gifts available to us so that we can be a part of the alive and active body of Christ!
If you are feeling discouraged today or if you have believed the lie that you have nothing to offer, I encourage you to read these words in Scripture and to really ask the Holy Spirit to help show you what gifts He’s given to you and the place that you have in the body. You are a chosen child of God, and the gifts of His Spirit are available to you! All you have to do is ask Him and receive!
ACTIVATION/PRAYER: Take a few moments to get quiet and still before the Lord and pray a prayer like this: “Lord, I’m thankful that You know me so well, that You created me, that You call me good, and that I have a place as Your child. Lord, I'm sorry for ever believing the lie that the gifts that You have given me aren’t good enough, and I pray that You, Holy Spirit, would show me how to operate in all that You have for me today, and every day! Amen.”
It says, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ… Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!… All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” - 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-18, 27
Sometimes I find myself stuck in the feeling of frustration when I see someone who has a spiritual gift that I don’t have but that I desire. Paul actually mentions these gifts a bit earlier, starting verse 7 and ending in verse 11, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”
These passages of Scripture encourage me because it’s a great reminder that I have a vital place in the body of Christ and that I can be confident in the spiritual gifts that He has given me. I may not be “an eyeball,” but I very well could be “an ear,” and both are needed for the body to function! Paul also reminds us that, “God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us (verse 6).” I am so thankful that I get to serve a God who values each and every single one of His children and wants each of us to possess the spiritual gifts available to us so that we can be a part of the alive and active body of Christ!
If you are feeling discouraged today or if you have believed the lie that you have nothing to offer, I encourage you to read these words in Scripture and to really ask the Holy Spirit to help show you what gifts He’s given to you and the place that you have in the body. You are a chosen child of God, and the gifts of His Spirit are available to you! All you have to do is ask Him and receive!
ACTIVATION/PRAYER: Take a few moments to get quiet and still before the Lord and pray a prayer like this: “Lord, I’m thankful that You know me so well, that You created me, that You call me good, and that I have a place as Your child. Lord, I'm sorry for ever believing the lie that the gifts that You have given me aren’t good enough, and I pray that You, Holy Spirit, would show me how to operate in all that You have for me today, and every day! Amen.”
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