Which Part of The Body Are You?

Dear Friends,

Which Part of The Body Are You?

I love how Paul explains the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 using the example of the human body. He so clearly teaches how just as God has created the human body and positioned each part with a specific function, so God does the same with the body of Christ.

I like how The Message paraphrases it as it gives me such a clear image as I read it:

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything...

I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honour just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.

What can we learn from what Paul is saying?

1. God has carefully placed each part.

God deliberately put each part of our human body together. He chose each part and the function for each part. There is purpose in his design and each part is needed. God has made the human body beautiful and we see this when each part is working well.

As part of the body of Christ, he has placed each part (you and me) just where he wants us to be. It wasn't done randomly but carefully thought through. He knows us best, better than we do ourselves, because he created us, and so he knows the best place for us. He has gifted us with particular strengths, passions, abilities, personality and spiritual gifts so that each one of us has something to offer. When each of us is functioning well, doing what God has called us to do, it is a beautiful sight to behold as we work together as one.

2. Each part is vitally important to the whole.

If we see one part of the body more important than another, we will start to give more significance to one part over another. We will start to compare the gifts we have been given with the gifts others have been given and will either become envious or puffed up with self-importance. The part you and I have within the body has significance because we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We need to remember this. If one part of the body is overlooked or ignored, the whole body suffers. But when each part is recognised for what it is, then the body, and ultimately God, is glorified.

3. Each part is dependent on each other.

We are not to go off and do our own thing. We are not to compete for control, but rather we are to work together, recognising the gifting each one of us has, seeking together to honour and glorify God.

Have you discovered what spiritual gifting God has given you and the place where he wants you in the body of Christ? When you know what that is and you function where God has placed you, you will find joy and satisfaction in what you are doing. You will know the fulfilment which comes from doing what God has called you to do.

Or are you trying to be another part of the body? Trying to do something you have not been made for? If that's the case, you will not find that same satisfaction or joy I have talked about above. You will not have the same passion for it. It will make you feel weary and burdened. If you are a hand stop trying to be a foot!

There are four truths I want you to take away with you. These truths are based on God's Word and they may well be different to the lies that others have tried to get you to believe in. Take these truths to heart, say them to yourself over and over again until you start to really believe them.

• I am an essential part of the body of Christ. 
• I am no less and no more important than anyone else. 
• Only I can do what God has purposed for me to do. 
• He has not called me to do the work of another.

Jesus said: And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

To Think About:

What are the spiritual gifts God has given you? It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Corinthians 12:11 (NLT) If you're not sure what yours is then ask God to reveal it to you.

Are you using the spiritual gifts God has given you? How are you exercising your gifts? Are they bringing you joy and satisfaction? Are you trying to compete with others or working with them?

Is there something you need to let go of so that you have time to fulfil that which God has created you for?

Vicki

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