When we are born again, we are automatically adopted into the family of Christ throughout the entire world. We are amazingly linked and united by the our father in Heaven. But each of us has the need to connect in our own personal communities where we are called- our home church. Jesus uses the church as a way to bond us together and accomplish His will on earth.
Jesus has equipped each individual member of His body with their own unique gifts. These gifts are given solely for the purpose of glorifying Him and lifting Him up. Everyone is uniquely equipped to complete the purpose he designed you for.
We are His body and He is the head over us all (Colossians 1:18). That means that for us as a body to function properly, we need to empty ourselves of what we think and tune into what He- the head and mind of the body- thinks. We constantly have to check ourselves and search our own hearts to see if what we are thinking is what He wants, or what we want, and align accordingly. Our worldly wisdom pales in comparison to His. His wisdom seems like foolishness to the world. So if one part of the body thinks one way, and another a different way, there will be division among us. Yet we are called to be united in purpose and action in Christ.
1 Corinthians 20-25 Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. (HCSB)
To be united as a body, a large part is recognizing the importance of others. We should be valuing each other like Christ values us. Just because we may have different gifts than others or we don't understand their gifting, doesn't mean they aren't just as critical to the body as we are. We should appreciate others simply for the fact that Christ designed them as they are and to not appreciate them is to insult His work. Not understanding others is not an excuse for not valuing them as a necessary part of the body. In fact, we are told to value others over ourselves. We must also not be threatened by others we perceive to have more "important" roles than us or who are being "recognized" more. We need to be comfortable in who we were created to be so that we may be able to fulfill our calling and our part effectively.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves (HCSB)
Romans 12:3-5 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.
So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Look around the community you've been placed in. Do you feel like you have stepped out to fulfill what your role is in the body or are you just watching others step into theirs? Do you feel threatened or insignificant by others' callings? Is there anyone who you've deemed as worthless to the body? Are you pushing for your agenda or His? These are things that we need to ask ourselves so that we can be healthy and conform into the image of Christ. Remember that you are a valued and necessary piece of the puzzle-- we can't get the whole picture without you. Imagine a church where everyone stepped into the role they were called to and truly sought out Jesus' agenda and not their own. Where we all aligned individually with Him, making us all united in one mind. That kind of church could change the world.
Jesus has equipped each individual member of His body with their own unique gifts. These gifts are given solely for the purpose of glorifying Him and lifting Him up. Everyone is uniquely equipped to complete the purpose he designed you for.
We are His body and He is the head over us all (Colossians 1:18). That means that for us as a body to function properly, we need to empty ourselves of what we think and tune into what He- the head and mind of the body- thinks. We constantly have to check ourselves and search our own hearts to see if what we are thinking is what He wants, or what we want, and align accordingly. Our worldly wisdom pales in comparison to His. His wisdom seems like foolishness to the world. So if one part of the body thinks one way, and another a different way, there will be division among us. Yet we are called to be united in purpose and action in Christ.
1 Corinthians 20-25 Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. (HCSB)
To be united as a body, a large part is recognizing the importance of others. We should be valuing each other like Christ values us. Just because we may have different gifts than others or we don't understand their gifting, doesn't mean they aren't just as critical to the body as we are. We should appreciate others simply for the fact that Christ designed them as they are and to not appreciate them is to insult His work. Not understanding others is not an excuse for not valuing them as a necessary part of the body. In fact, we are told to value others over ourselves. We must also not be threatened by others we perceive to have more "important" roles than us or who are being "recognized" more. We need to be comfortable in who we were created to be so that we may be able to fulfill our calling and our part effectively.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves (HCSB)
Romans 12:3-5 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.
So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation. But our presentable parts have no need of clothing. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Look around the community you've been placed in. Do you feel like you have stepped out to fulfill what your role is in the body or are you just watching others step into theirs? Do you feel threatened or insignificant by others' callings? Is there anyone who you've deemed as worthless to the body? Are you pushing for your agenda or His? These are things that we need to ask ourselves so that we can be healthy and conform into the image of Christ. Remember that you are a valued and necessary piece of the puzzle-- we can't get the whole picture without you. Imagine a church where everyone stepped into the role they were called to and truly sought out Jesus' agenda and not their own. Where we all aligned individually with Him, making us all united in one mind. That kind of church could change the world.
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