If you could pick to be any part of the human body, what would you choose? If I asked 10,000 people this question, I would get a wide variety of answers. My guess is the most common answers would be the hands, feet, legs, heart, lungs, brain, eyes, ears, and maybe a few more of the famous parts of the body. I doubt many would pick toenails, armpits, nose hairs, or appendix (what does that thing do anyways?). But, as you may have already guessed, each part of the human body was designed for specific function and serves an integral part in the success of the body. Take the toenail for instance. Each toenail is a hard protein called keratin and it protects the toe. The toes are connected to your feet and help provide stability while standing or walking. Without your toenail your toe may be susceptible to damage which can impact your ability to walk which is needed to retrieve food and water. Can you survive in today’s world without a toenail? Most likely. But your body just would not be the same without them. The same goes for you and me.
You and I make of the body of Christ. Romans 12:4-8 reminds us that we each are individually made and yet serve to form one body.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
You serve a purpose no matter what anybody tells you. You were perfectly and wonderfully made. I can tell you for certain that sometimes I feel like my purpose in life may clash with others around me. I also struggle at times to stop and appreciate the gifts somebody else brings to the table. It is very easy for us to focus on how we are different from one another and sometimes that gets in the way. We must remember that we each were designed to serve the body of Christ uniquely and, when we act on the spiritual gifts woven in our DNA, we serve in a way that supports the body of Christ.
Recently I encountered some tough, emotional days. I entered valleys alongside family members and in those hard days, our differences tended to be magnified. Each one of us were dealing with the stress and sadness in our own independent ways. We gathered as one body supporting our family but in our differences at times acted as individuals fighting for our voice and responding to our emotion rather than seeking a unified purpose. It was very stressful. Over time we worked to recognize that we were each different yet serving the same purpose as a unified family. When we came together as a unified family, we were able to move forward together with great power!
Christians are called to be one body! We are all perfectly and wonderfully made to serve Christ. Our unique spiritual gifts may be different from those around us, but they are designed to serve a singular, unified purpose…to know God and make Him be known. When you look at your neighbor and see a toenail or an armpit, remember they too are part of the body of Christ designed to work together right alongside you!
No comments:
Post a Comment