1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25




Sunday, January 23, 2011

Being the Body of Christ


1 Corinthians 12:26
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

“The toe bone’s connected to the foot bone; the foot bone’s connected to the leg bone; the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone...” As a runner, your grasp of anatomy is likely more sophisticated than this. Yet, this simple song explains a familiar problem: every part of the body is connected. Thus, pain or discomfort in one part of the body is usually felt all over. Your tight hamstrings affect your calves and feet. Your tense shoulders pull at your lower back. Even the smallest blister on the tip of your pinky toe can render your run, well, un-runable.

By God’s design, each body part is connected. Because of this connection, each part relies on the next. When one is not functioning properly, the other parts do not ignore it. They begin to fail in function, too. When one of your parts hurts, the rest of your parts suffer. When each part is properly strengthened and conditioned, it serves the other parts more efficiently and effectively. When each part is doing well, the entire body rejoices.

Throughout the Bible, we are reminded that we are the Body of Christ. Our brothers and sisters in the Christ – the people in your church, your neighbors, friends, and coworkers, the missionaries in foreign lands – are all the Lord’s hands, His feet, His heart. And just as the runner’s body experiences pain while running the road race, the Body of Christ on earth goes through many tribulations during the course of the human race. As members of the Body of Christ, we need to aid, assist, and comfort the members of Christ’s body just as we are to ice, rest, and care for our own human, injured bodies.

Sometimes we ignore a bodily injury, presuming or hoping that it is nothing and will soon go away. Is this our attitude with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ? Do we hope that their life issues will be short lived and pass quickly so that we can just move on? Without a heartfelt belief that we truly are one body in Christ, we likely will be quick to turn our back on an aching body part. Let’s pray for a different perspective that glorifies God.

Lord God, open my eyes to see the parts of The Body that are aching, troubled, and injured. Remind me that the parts of Your body do not work in isolation but in union together.  Give me a heart of compassion for these parts and a wisdom to know how to serve them best. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.
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1 comment:

  1. KristenJanuary 23, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    Oh, sometimes I am so guilty of thinking that by ignoring pain in others that I am preserving myself. I never thought of the perspective that I might actually be hurting the body of Christ with this attitude.

    Thanks Karen, for yet another thought provoking devotional! Keep up the race, my friend!

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