Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5
Many Members—One Body
Daily Devotion – August 23, 2018
Devotion based on Romans 12:4-5
See series: Devotions
Isn’t it amazing how beautifully all the different parts of our bodies work together? Each part has its own function. Each part has something different that it is “good at.” Yet when everything is working as it should, no part fights with another part. No part gets in the way of another part doing its job. Each part does what God designed it to do so that the body, as a whole, can function the very best it can. In fact, the overall functioning of the entire body depends on how well all the parts work together and support each other in their individual functions.
Your heart pumps your blood. But that blood would have nowhere to go if it were not for the arteries and veins connected to your heart. Your eyes see. But those images would mean nothing to you if the optic nerve didn’t transmit those images to your brain to be interpreted. You breathe with your lungs. But without your diaphragm, there would be no way for your lungs to draw the air in and then press it back out. Even the seemingly most insignificant parts of our bodies have important roles to play. Would you really want to go without your fingernails?
In the same way, God’s church is made up of many parts, and each of those parts is different. Some Christians are good at speaking. Some have the gift of teaching. Some have the gift of serving with a selfless heart. Some seem to always know just the right thing to say to encourage us when we’re feeling down. Some are “prayer warriors.” Some are organizers. God has specifically designed each person in his church to be able to perform a particular function. And none of these functions is unimportant. In order for God’s church to function the best it can, all members need to be doing their part.
What part are you in the body of Christ? What function has God designed you to perform? Is there something that God has given you a passion for that you could use in service to your congregation? It doesn’t matter if the gift God has given you isn’t one of those gifts that seem to be more important. God’s church simply cannot function at its best unless you are also doing what God has designed you to do. Whether you’re the heart or the arteries, whether you’re the lungs or the diaphragm, whether you’re one of the fingers or a fingernail, you are important and what God has given you to do is important. In Christ, we who are many truly do form one body, and each of us supports everyone else, just as God designed us to do.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for so beautifully designing each part of your church to work together. Help me do what you have designed me to do, so that your church as a whole may do the work you have given it to do. Amen.
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