my entire life i’ve really enjoyed talking. yeah, i know, if you know me, your first thought is probably, “big surprise.” at times, this has really benefited me. other times, well, let’s just say my high school french teacher wasn’t as big of a fan.
i never understood that God could use that love of mine for His glory. i never really thought that God could use my love for talking, and form that into my love for talking about Him. and so here i am.
hundreds of times i have read the verses below, but few times did i realize that i was one of the parts of the body in such a significant way – just like we all are. it took me until just a couple of years ago to realize that maybe, just maybe, God has chosen me to be the mouth in the body.
let’s check out what is said about the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 says:
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
before actually looking into this scripture, i’ve gotta link this commercial. it always reminds me of this passage. i love that commercial too, because though joking, it can remind us that our body needs its various parts to work effectively, and so does the body of Christ.
one part is not more important for another. one part cannot function without the other parts. we are all a body. we all help support each other, contribute to one another, and share with each other. i love the last verse and a half too, that says “its parts should have equal concern for each other. if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
i love being reminded that we should have equal concern for each other. we should forget about the hands of Christ, or the feet. we mouths can have the ability to drown out the other parts of the body, and it is so important that we are mindful of all the parts of the body and that we all work together.
it’s true too, that if one part suffers, we all suffer with it. now, we may not always realize this in reality, but it’s so true. just look at your own body for a minute. if you injure your left knee (this is a little piece of personal experience from me…), your right hip will hurt from limping, along with probably one or both feet, and maybe even your lower backa bit. all of these body parts are being affected by a seemingly small part, the knee. now, in the body of Christ, if one sister or brother is suffering, they are not able to act as the part of the body that they have been called to and we are all affected.
but thank God, at the same time, when one part is honored, when one part has a victory, when one part can rejoice, we all do. i love celebrating with the other parts of the body of Christ. i love being reminded that we are made complete in Christ. we are a piece of the body, and in the body, we are complete. what a great reminder that in Christ, we are enough.