Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to himself. Confess any known sin. Thank him for his forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and his sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s word. Pray for others in your life that they too would know and love God today.
Read:
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Understand:
Paul considers all believers part of God’s family. He refers to the church community as the body of Christ
He uses the body with its many parts as an analogy for the church, to illustrate the diversity within the church. This diversity is good and it’s what makes the church function the way it’s supposed to. The parts are different for a reason, and the differences must work together. When the parts all work together, it can be a beautiful thing. Think of an Olympic sprinter in full stride: it’s a wonderful thing to see. Their body is moving in one direction with one goal in mind: to win the prize!
God has placed the many different parts in the body right where he wants them. There is diversity in the body, but only one body. The body of believers has one thing in common: faith in Christ.
Everyone has a role to play, a unique role, so we need not look to other roles and wish somehow we had a different role to play. In fact Paul even says the weaker roles (less desirable) are indispensible. If you start taking these different parts away, the body will fall apart or at the very least be hindered in the way it functions.
We should have equal concern for everyone in the body.
We–with all of our different gifts, talents, personalities, abilities, desires, skills and interests–are a part of the body of Christ—a vital part of this body! So no matter how small or insignificant you may feel your role is, you are called to participate and your participation is what makes our body of believers—our Church—a healthy body.
Apply:
Consider your different gifts, talents, personality, abilities, desires, skills and interests. How do you view them in the context of community?
We are all called to participate in the ministry. Think through your role in this community: how do you see yourself fitting in?
Ask God to give you opportunities to participate in the ministry. Ask him to give you a willingness to serve.
Being part of a small group is important. It’s the avenue that leads to opportunity and it’s a role we’re all called to play. Are you plugged in to a small group? If not, what is keeping you from doing so? What is one thing you could do to make a make a change?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer for today, make it specific to the circumstances that face you.) Ask God to lead you through his Spirit as you go through your day. Ask him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell him “Yes” to his will today and ask him for his power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask him to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY TODAY.