A Hand or a Foot?

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:14-20 ESV). The Apostle Paul uses the image of the physical body to help us understand the church. We are called as Christians to be functioning, participating, contributing members of the body of Christ. We need to be a part of a body where there is accountability, where there is friendship, and where there is koinonia. We need to be a part of a body where we come to receive and to learn, but we also need a place where we can contribute and serve the Lord with the gifts He has given us. There are so many different things that need to be done in the church just like our bodies. Can you imagine what it might be like if some part of your body decided to stop doing what it was designed to do? Let’s suppose the foot suddenly decided it wasn’t going to allow the rest of the body to put all of that weight on it anymore. After all the hand doesn’t have to do that; and, the hand gets to wear all the pretty jewelry. The hand gets to avoid the really hard work. Oh sure, some women will paint the foot’s nails like they do their hands, but it’s just not the same. The foot does twice the work that the hand does! It’s just not fair! That’s pretty silly isn’t it? Yet that is the thought and practice of many people in today’s church. We tend to act independently when the church as a body is interdependent. We cannot live and flourish apart from other believers. God wants us to engage. He wants us to be a part of what He is doing. Attending church is not a spectator sport. We are here to be a functioning part of His church. Everyone has a job to do. Everyone has a need to serve. There is a place for you. Finding our place and working in that place is the best way to experience real joy. For some this means being faithful at home caring for the children; for others, it is doing that job God has gifted you to do in your community. Others may be called to vocational ministry. However, all of us are to be vitally connected in the ministry to one another and those of our world. Just like the foot is essential to the hand and vice versa; so are all of us vitally connected to one another in the church. Celebrate your uniqueness and your interconnectedness.