This morning I was reminded of an accident I had several years ago.
I was working for a large animal vet and was cleaning surgical instruments. I stabbed my thumb with a surgical blade and it was wrapped with a large bulky bandage and was very sore. The cut wasn’t deep or really that long but it hurt for days and my entire body encouraged me not to bump it against anything. When I did excoriating pain shot through my hand and arm and went coursing to my brain.
Maybe you’ve had an injury like that. Perhaps a broken bone, a back injury or a migraine. If so, you know what I’m talking about and you know how pain in one area can effect every other part of your body.
I was living the scripture in I Corinthians 12. Many members in one body, not all having the same part but still a member. This morning my other digits are compensating for the loss of the use of my thumb. They are protecting it, they are working overtime to make up for what’s lacking.
“The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. 13 Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God’s Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit.
14 Our bodies don’t have just one part. They have many parts. 15 Suppose a foot says, “I’m not a hand, and so I’m not part of the body.” Wouldn’t the foot still belong to the body? 16 Or suppose an ear says, “I’m not an eye, and so I’m not part of the body.” Wouldn’t the ear still belong to the body? 17 If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn’t hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn’t smell a thing. 18 But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.
19 A body isn’t really a body, unless there is more than one part. 20 It takes many parts to make a single body. 21 That’s why the eyes cannot say they don’t need the hands. That’s also why the head cannot say it doesn’t need the feet. 22 In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. 23 We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, 24 but we don’t have to be modest about other parts.
God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. 25 He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. 26 If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy. 27 Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body.” I Corinthians 12:12-27
In God’s eyes everyone of us are valuable. We all have an important part to play. That’s the way the body is designed. The parts that are hidden, not on public display, are the ones that are doing some of the most important, life-giving work; i.e., the lungs, the heart, the intestines.
Scripture tells us that Christ is the head so He’s the brains of the outfit. He is the data processing center that gives directions to the rest of the body. If we are to function in harmony we need to follow the instruction He sends out to our member. We mustn’t get caught up in criticizing the foot, the hand, the toes or the ears because they don’t seem to be functioning right. No, instead we need to be the best part we can possibly be and come to the aid and support of others that aren’t operating properly.
Do you know another Christian today that is hurting? It’s one thing to sympathize with them and if you only consider them a “brother or sister”, you can easily let it go at that. But if you consider them to be a true member of the body of Christ, the body to which you are also a member, you will reach out to protect them and to help them heal.
Who do you need to reach out to today?