Together!

Together!

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:25‭-‬26 KJV

Context:

Paul speaks extensively about the body, both the natural and the spiritual body. The natural body of man has different parts, each with its defined function and role in the body. No part is built to do the work that another part was formed to do, as the eye cannot chew food on behalf of the mouth. God has so designed each part of the human body to carry out specific functions, and one fundamental lesson learnt from this is: the beauty of the body isn't in each part working very well on its own, but that each part is working together with other parts for the good of the entire body.

This generation has raised the value of one part of the body over and above the whole body. We look at some gifts, and because they are visible and audible, we are tempted to think that this is what makes them more important than the other parts. If you do not function as a body, you don't get to be called a body. It is the sum of all parts working to a defined end that makes a body one, not that one part is very hardworking.

Message and Response:

This is the thrust of today's extract. God has so arranged the human body in a way that no part can be neglected. We have parts we do not need to cover, because it is their role to remain uncovered in carrying out their assignment. There are parts that MUST be covered, otherwise, there will be disgrace. There are parts that can never be exposed, yet we pay greater attention to these parts, while we do not have to pay that much attention to the parts that do not need to be covered. That is the wisdom of God in full display.

It is the power of that inter-connection that makes today's message tick. God knows the way the human mind works, and that if I do not have much regard for something, I won't pay too much attention to it. God has then ordained it that no part of the body can boast in its total independence, but that as each part works, it supplies what the other part lacks, and it gets back that which it needs. I was not made to function in a vacuum, and that is why there can be no schism in the body.

If my eye cannot dispense with the services of the hand, so also in the body of Christ, no part can dispense with another part. The joy of one part is the joy of the whole body, just as the pain in one part is the pain of all the parts of the body. Imagine what a simple ankle injury can do to the whole body; th eentire body will feel the pain. My life must be lived this way, if I will ever be a blessing, not a burden to the body of Christ.

After all, the gifts that I am to contribute to the body of Christ were never mine in the first place. They belong to the head, where control, impact and influence are determined. Am I happy to see other parts do well? Am I cross when others do well, or am I free from self-promotion and pride? Am I fine in my skin, location and function, so that nothing can push me into envy and self-pity? I have no control over the message, the audience, the platform or the response. The only thing I can control is my own contribution to the body, and when I do that well, God is glorified. May the Lord help me to walk worthy of the calling I have received and make full proof of my ministry. His time of favour is here.