Devotion: The Body of Christ

You have legs to walk. Eyes to see. Ears to hear, and a nose to smell. If it weren't for these body parts that each contain a specific assignment, we wouldn't be able to accomplish certain jobs. If I didn't have a mouth, I wouldn't be able to verbally communicate.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 says:

A person's body is one thing, but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also. Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body through one Spirit. And we were all made to share in the one Spirit.

The human body has many parts. The foot might say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. The ear might say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body." But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell. If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, in the body as he wanted them. So then there are many parts, but only one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you!" No! Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary. And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honor. We give special respect to the parts we want to hide.The more respectable parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it so our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.

Together you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body.

Wait, did you read that? All of us are the body of Christ. Each one of us has a specific talent that God has given us to further build his kingdom. It's what we do with that talent that counts. If you were given eyes to see, you wouldn't try to make them hear, would you? Just because God has given you a specific gift doesn't mean that you can do anything you want with it.

You may have talented hands to write, but those same hands may not be skilled to paint. You may have a talented voice to sing, but only the songs that will help God's kingdom are the ones worth singing about. The talents we have were designed and chosen by our Creator to be specific for us! Don't try to go outside of your calling, and don't abuse the gifts by using it for evil instead of good. We are called to glorify God and help others by using the talents he has given us. Our job on earth is to glorify him! Why would you want to use a body part for something other than the function it was given?

I love the song "If We are the Body" by Casting Crowns. I used to not realize what these lyrics mean, but now I understand. "If we are the body, why aren't the arms reaching? Why aren't his hands healing, why aren't his word teaching?" Think of how much stronger the Body of Christ would be if each of us on earth did the specific assignment that God has given us.

We need to stop making excuses such as "I don't have a talent" or "I'm just a teenager, I'll live for the Lord and pursue whatever God has given me after my high school years." You don't know when your life on earth will be over. Why would you want to waste your time doing things that don't support God's kingdom anyway? Eccl 11:9 says: "You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it."

Don't let Satan make you feel worthless or allow your mind to be filled with excuses. If you read 1 Corinthians 12, you'll see that God has given you a talent. It is our job as the Body of Christ to use these talents to love, to lead people to Christ and give glory to God. So let's all work together by letting our words teach, our hands heal, our arms reach. One step at a time.