WE ALL HAVE A PART
1 CORINTHIANS 12:17-21 NKJV
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
This is one of those chapters in the Bible that we could spend a great amount of time discussing.
The chapter starts with the gifts or manifestations of the Holy Spirit. These would be the different ways the Holy Spirit shows up in the lives of the believers. The Holy Spirit is the one who chooses who and how He works through different people.
Then Paul launches into the concept of the Body of Christ. The idea is that just as our physical bodies are made up of many different parts, so is the Body of Christ. Just as each of our different body parts have a different function, so does the Body of Christ. And just as we need all the various parts of our bodies functioning to truly be healthy, so does the Body of Christ.
If every part had the same function, we would be in trouble. Paul said if the whole body was an eye, then how could we hear? There has to be distinctions in our physical bodies, and so it is with the Body of Christ.
God is the one who sets the members of the Body as it has pleased Him. This is an important truth. We actually do not choose our role in the Body. But our role is important.
No part of our bodies should disregard any other part. Just because our ears cannot see does not make them of less importance. Because our eyes have no sense of smell does not diminish their role or importance in the overall health and function of our bodies.
And so it is with the Body of Christ. No one can exalt his role above another or state that we have no need of other members in the Body. We all have a role. We all have a part to play. And when we function as we are set, then the Body of Christ is effective in the earth.
APPLICATION:
This chapter addresses numerous issues, but here are a couple worth noting.
I often see people desiring a certain role in the Body. Typically, it's a very visible role such as preaching, teaching, or leading worship. That desire is great, provided that is what God has called you to be in the Body of Christ. The important key is to find where He has set you and operate there. How you find that place is a lesson for another day, but my encouragement is to get started serving in some capacity and allow the Lord to lead you.
But I also find people who feel as if they have no place in the Body of Christ. They know they are not called to preach or teach, so they assume their role is observing. But God has set each of us in the Body of Christ to function in the way that He has designed us. Observing is not a functioning body part. Neither is criticizing. We need every part. We need each other!
So here is a good prayer to pray.
PRAYER:
Dear Father, please show me where I am set in the Body of Christ. Thank You that I have a part to play and that I am needed.