Body and soul
There are no unimportant parts in the human body. Every single one has a purpose and role to play. During college, a friend of mine had his foot caught in a hydraulic plate which resulted in the loss of his two smallest toes on one foot. I remember visiting him in the hospital and the pain he experienced before the toes were amputated was massive. He told me that it wouldn’t be a big deal if he lost those toes, but once he began to walk again, he learned that his balance was greatly affected by the two toes being absent. I have experienced in the last year the effects of diminished vision in one eye due to a torn retina and then a leaking blood vessel. I still have occluded vision, though over time I have learned to adjust and navigate with the issues it has caused.
In both of these cases (and I imagine you can think of other examples) body parts have required us to adjust or even avoid certain activities. For my friend, the adjustments to his walking caused other lower back, hip and knee issues. I imagine we could all name examples of where parts of the body of Christ do the same thing (i.e., AWOL) which then impacts other body parts or even the effectiveness of the body. Imagine if all parts of the body of Christ were to focus on what God called them to do, while others then focused on what they were called to, do just how well the body of Christ would operate under the headship of its Savior and Lord. As it is, many times some are doing double or triple duty, operating outside of their giftedness out of necessity just so ministry can take place. There is not a single child of God who is not endowed by the Holy Spirit with a spiritual gift for the building up of the church.
What causes this struggle? I believe it is a lack of understanding that God created us for community and for the church. Instead of realizing that we are all in the same boat, headed in the same direction for the same purpose, there are those who are in one-man kayaks or canoes in the wake of the boat. They are doing their own thing at their own speed, but with the expectation that if trouble comes along, those in the big boat will be there to rescue them. My friend, we are all in the same boat: the church. We are all called to a role and position (giftedness) on the boat so that the kingdom of God is lifted high, that the purpose of God is accomplished and that the name of Jesus is known.
It is hard to say that we love one another when we spend our time in a one-man vessel while the big boat (the church) journeys forward. The hallmark of being Christian according to John 13:34-35 is that we will love one another as Jesus loved us. That love was sacrificial, relational, continual, confrontational, encouraging, and empowering. May we be present and active in the church where God has purposed and placed us.
Pressing on…
Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor
