The Body of Christ
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (ESV)
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Explanation:
When I saw that I was writing a devotion about this passage of scripture, I was thrilled! I am passionate about what this scripture is teaching us: that God has called each one of us for a purpose within the body of Christ. Everyone has a part to play. No one is left out and everyone has something they can offer. If God has placed you at The Tree Church, the Holy Spirit has a purpose and plan and role for you within the church body. That is exciting!
I have the blessing of working on staff at The Tree, and one of my roles is to help people understand and walk through the process of becoming a CORE Member. In order to be a CORE Member, you must implement several specific spiritual habits in your life and be consistent in these habits. One of the spiritual habits is serving on a ministry team at The Tree. Some people jump right in and sign up for a team. For others, it takes a little more convincing. Sometimes they don’t feel like they have anything to offer. Other times the hesitancy is because they don’t feel that they have enough time, or that they will feel awkward. My encouragement is that God has placed them here at The Tree for a reason, and the body (the church) needs them.
I also always tell folks that they will be surprised to see what serving will do in their own hearts. All it takes is looking around on a Sunday morning or throughout the week at The Tree, and seeing the faces of the people who are there operating and serving as a body. If you ask most people, they are finding more joy in serving than they would’ve imagined. That is the design of God. He desires for us to work together to share His message, and we can’t do it alone… we weren’t meant to do it alone! I hope you are operating as a part of the body of Christ (serving) and if you aren’t, I hope this encourages you to do so! The body needs you, you are a part of the body, and the Holy Spirit is calling you!
Action Step:
1.How does it make you feel that you are designed to be a part of the body of Christ?
2.Are you serving on a ministry team at The Tree Church? If not, what is holding you back? If so, think about one way it has impacted your life.
3.If you are wondering how to begin serving on a ministry team at The Tree, you can reach out to Katie Iser, who oversees our teams: kiser@thetree.church
Prayer:
God, we thank You that You have designed us to work together as a body. Thank You that we are designed for relationships and to be connected to one another. Help us to have a heart that desires to serve others and desires to show others Your love. For those of us that are struggling to find our role, help us to reach out and allow others to help guide us along with Your Holy Spirit. We love You! Amen.