City Life Starter

22 And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].

John 17:11 (AMP)

11 I am no longer in the world; yet they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are.

By Aisha Darwesh

Today’s verses explain the rich diversity that exists in the body of Christ. There are all kinds of functions: apostle, prophet, teacher, miracle-worker, healer, helper, leader, and speaker of other languages. Each gift has a vital role to play in God’s Kingdom. They work so cohesively together that Paul describes the gifts and believers in general as members of a single body.

This really helps put things in perspective when it comes to realizing our significance as the body of Christ. What an amazing thought. We collectively as a church represent Christ’s body, and Christ is the head. Think of it. If you were walking into a room and saw your friend, your friend wouldn’t say “hello, how is your head? And your body?” No, that would be ridiculous. Your friend would say, “Hello, how are you?”

If we as a body of believers are Christ’s body, and Christ is the head, that means everywhere we go, we are taking Christ with us. Our very identity is forever intertwined with Christ. We are a part of Christ and Christ is a part of us. That’s a revolutionary concept.

Just as the body does not act outside of what the head commands, we look to our Head [i.e. Jesus Christ] to direct us on how to behave. He gets to decide who does what in the Body of Christ. He’s the Head. There is no need for divisions or competition amongst us because we are all united and cooperating together as a single unit.

Verse 31 closes the chapter by introducing God’s most excellent way:

And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love] (1 Corinthians 12:31 Amplified).

Love is what connects us in the body. If we are talking about a physical human body, imagine that love is like the tendons and sinews holding us all together. Love is what keeps us functioning as a body and what motivates us to obey and live for God.

What a blessing it is to be connected to God and to other believers in the Body of Christ.

Application

I love how an animated movie called Inside Out depicts what goes on in a young girl’s mind. The movie basically personified different emotions like joy, sadness, anger, etc. In the movie, Joy and Sadness drift away from “headquarters,” and they compete for control of the young girl’s core memories. Without ruining the ending of the movie for those of you who haven’t seen it, this story essentially shows us the importance of all our emotions and how they all work together to create a vibrant and colorful life.

It’s a great analogy for the Body of Christ. There doesn’t have to be a rivalry between believers because we all share in God’s great plan of bringing His Kingdom to earth.

Think about your role in your own local church (if you are a member of a church.). Do you think less of yourself or more highly of yourself based on what your role is in the church?  Are you exhausted from trying to do too many things? Or do you feel complacent because you’re not growing or doing anything?

According to today’s text, believers are collectively the Body of Christ and individually we are members of Christ’s body. That means we each have a part to play, whether large or small–they’re all important and serve a Kingdom purpose.

If you are not sure what your role is or don’t even know where to start, I would suggest trying an assortment of things. Find out what you like. If you have a natural desire to take care of children or sing or greet people as they walk into church, that’s a good indication it might be a good fit. If it turns out not to be a good fit, try something else until you find something that you enjoy and it’s a blessing to others as well.

Prayer

Father, I thank You for grafting me into the Body of Christ. We are connected forever because of Your unfailing Love. I want to serve you as a member of Your body. Empower me to walk out Your purpose for my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.