“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophesy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth: on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy with cheerfulness.”
The body of Christ is such a neat explanation of how Christians are to work together. If everyone were exactly the same, this world would be incredibly boring. There would be no variety, no color, no inspiration, no creativity, no spontaneity etc… We would be like robots with no real reason to keep living. No one would have the desire to do anything since there would be no individuality. But praise the Lord we were not made that way! God made each of us unique in our own special way with different gifts, talents, and desires. One man’s gift may be the total opposite of someone else’s, and that is how we can complement each other in accomplishing the will of God. It makes life so much more exciting! The image of a body is the perfect description of how we all fit together. Each of us forms a different part of the body; however, we all belong to same body. This is what binds our uniqueness together in unity.
The key to unity, though, is being willing to work together. Because we are all so different, we have to make an extra effort to lay down our pride for the benefit of the entire body. One thing I need to work on at times is being content with the gifts God has given me. I cannot be jealous wishing I had someone else’s gift. As a result, I would not be fulfilled in my calling. If we are always wishing we could be better at something instead of perfecting the gifts we have, we could very well miss our opportunity to minister. Plus, if everyone did their own thing without submitting to the will of God, the body would never get anything accomplished. It is also encouraging to know that each part of the body is significant. Even the smallest parts which seem so trivial are really important. We need every part in order to work properly.
Above all else, however, we have to remember that it is only through Christ that we are able to form one body. If we tried it any other way, it would not work. Only through His grace and mercy are we able to submit, be content, and work together for His glory. When that happens, life is so much more meaningful!
Molly Dietrich
9/22/2006
Romans 12:5–8
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophesy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth: on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy with cheerfulness.”
The body of Christ is such a neat explanation of how Christians are to work together. If everyone were exactly the same, this world would be incredibly boring. There would be no variety, no color, no inspiration, no creativity, no spontaneity etc… We would be like robots with no real reason to keep living. No one would have the desire to do anything since there would be no individuality. But praise the Lord we were not made that way! God made each of us unique in our own special way with different gifts, talents, and desires. One man’s gift may be the total opposite of someone else’s, and that is how we can complement each other in accomplishing the will of God. It makes life so much more exciting! The image of a body is the perfect description of how we all fit together. Each of us forms a different part of the body; however, we all belong to same body. This is what binds our uniqueness together in unity.
The key to unity, though, is being willing to work together. Because we are all so different, we have to make an extra effort to lay down our pride for the benefit of the entire body. One thing I need to work on at times is being content with the gifts God has given me. I cannot be jealous wishing I had someone else’s gift. As a result, I would not be fulfilled in my calling. If we are always wishing we could be better at something instead of perfecting the gifts we have, we could very well miss our opportunity to minister. Plus, if everyone did their own thing without submitting to the will of God, the body would never get anything accomplished. It is also encouraging to know that each part of the body is significant. Even the smallest parts which seem so trivial are really important. We need every part in order to work properly.
Above all else, however, we have to remember that it is only through Christ that we are able to form one body. If we tried it any other way, it would not work. Only through His grace and mercy are we able to submit, be content, and work together for His glory. When that happens, life is so much more meaningful!