Body Parts

A couple of years ago I volunteered to lead a devotion for my homeschool group. Being a person who learns best with visuals I brought in paper representations of body parts and handed them out to a number of people in the audience. Those who received these were then asked to gather in groups in the way we usually choose churches, finding others like themselves. So, of course, the arms made one church, the legs another, and so on.

When all the "churches" were formed I pointed out each, noting their strenths and weaknesses. For instance, the "Leg Church" was really going places ... but they couldn't do much when they got there. In fact, they couldn't even see enough to know what needed to be done. So I asked the "body parts" to form churches as Christ would. My homeschooling ladies are smart cookies so they made full bodies with Christ as the head. Each body had two arms and two legs, a torso, eyes, ears, etc., just as a body should.

So, too, should the Body of Christ. And yet, we still focus on finding churches and groups where everyone is "like us," and we don't always appreciate why God made some of us different. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be around people who understand your world, your gifts and your challenges. There is a comfort in that. At the same time, sometimes we are called to be drawn out of our comfort zone and work in tandem with other, different, members of the Body. Not just to work with, but to help and understand the differences of the other members and what their purpose is.

First Corinthians 12:21-27 specifically calls us to reach out to the weaker members of the Body and treat them with special honor. It also tells us these parts are indispensable. There should be no division. If one suffers, every part suffers. If one is honored, every part rejoices with it.

So I ask you to look at the world around you and view the other members of the Body. I want you to look at that person you have a tendency to not understand or maybe even think as (dare I say it) deficient (as if the rest of us aren't in some way :o)). See them through the spectacles of their Creator. He gave them gifts. They may be different from yours, but they are most definitely there. Maybe you can even be the one to help that person find them. Now wouldn't that be cool?!