Building up the Body of Christ
In the last blog post, I talked about how we are not just individuals meant to further our own lives, but instead people who make up a larger body of Christ. We are all given different callings, but ultimately with one hope of building up the body of Christ and furthering God’s Kingdom. If you have ever been part of any type of group, had social media, or just merely been around people, I am sure the concept of comparison has been familiar to you at some point. Maybe at one point, you felt like you weren’t as important as someone else. Maybe you have felt like your job, position, or title wasn’t as good as someone else. Maybe you have thought you aren’t as gifted or successful, and the list can go on and on. Or maybe you have thought you are better than someone else, more talented, destined for bigger things than others. All of these fall under the trap of comparison, which becomes a danger to the body of Christ.
It is true that we were all uniquely made and given different gifts and called to do different things. However, these unique differences are actually intended to build up the church. God designed the body of Christ to be diverse for a reason so that the Body of Christ could further the mission of redemption and bring about the Kingdom of God on Earth.
In 1 Corinthians 12:14-17 it says, “Indeed, the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?”
You see, every part of the body is equally important. When God created you it was for an intended purpose that only you could step into. He created you to be a specific part of the body of Christ. Therefore, He needs you to step into who He designed you to be, so that the body as a whole can thrive. You are not just one person, but a part of a greater whole!
1 Corinthians goes on to say “But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
We cannot spend another second comparing ourselves to others or thinking our lives are simply about us. Everything we do needs to be with the view of how we can build up the body of Christ. Do our actions building up those around us? As we pursue different ministries, are we making sure that we are putting first the ministry of the gospel? Are we spending more time comparing one person’s gifts and situation or are we encouraging others? Are we celebrating each other’s successes or sitting in jealousy? Y’all, we are all moving parts in bringing about redemption on earth. We have the power of the Holy Spirit within each of us, uniting each of us, to go out and bring people to know Jesus.
Graphics by my sweet friend Christy Beutel!