1 Corinthians 12 - 10.8.26
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 NIV
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 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. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 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. 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. 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? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one 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!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 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, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-26 NIV
Observation:
This is one of my most favorite pieces of scripture, alongside Hebrews 3:13 this scripture lays out our responsibility and our calling as we serve in our daily roles as members of the body of Christ. We are to confidently own and see Gods heart in what we bring to the table and also see the essentiality of what those in the body of Christ bring to the table as well. Do you see that what you bring is part of the design God has for His movement on earth? I feel this burden as writing this SOAP that someone needs to see deeper how great and unique and awesome their perspective and passions and contribution is to the body of Christ. We cannot be passive with our God given passions, but we must be invested and bought into the mission God had designed to come down into earth through our ownership of stewarding them for His glory and purposes.
Application:
1. Encourage someone this morning or whenever you are reading this in what they bring to the body of Christ. Hebrews 3:13 reminds us that encouragement makes us available to see and experience the Holy Spirit, so what if your encouragement towards someone could be their reminder that they need to own their giftings and passions for a greater purpose than themselves? Sit with the Lord and ask Him WHO needs to be reminded how awesome of a foot or a hand they are and how amazing it is God designed them to bring that into His mission.
2. Write down where your heart comes alive as you love His body and serve His church, identify your gifting and passions and devote them to be a sacrifice unto the Lord’s overall mission for the entire body of Christ. What will our church look like when we see that we need to be all in and when we remind one another of this!!!! Let it be so!
Prayer:
Lord, I receive the love you have for what you have designed for me to contribute to the mission you have designed for the body of Christ. Help me to see who to encourage and receive more passion for the spaces you’ve DESIGNED me to bring your imprint into. Amen.
- Tess Schrupp
