1 Corinthians 12:22

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Monday, 22 December 2014

No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 1 Corinthians 12:22

Paul is continuing on with his thoughts concerning the importance of all parts of the body. In this verse he notes something which is obvious but possibly not commonly thought of. There are a multitude of body parts and we often think about the ones that we use a lot and which have strength. Our hands, arms, biceps, tongue, legs, etc. are things that we think about because we voluntarily use them and we also work hard to strengthen them for tasks.

On the other hand, we have body parts that are hidden away and very fragile. The inner body parts like the liver, heart, lungs, and so on aren’t things we normally think about as being “strong” or capable of doing great tasks. They are in there and they do their job, but we may consider them “weaker” in regards to our normal functioning. We don’t spend time exercising our liver, do we? And yet, how necessary it is!

We can’t function properly at all without them and when they fail, the body will die. However, if a leg fails, we can chop it off and continue to live. If we lose a hand, it may be a terrible loss, but we can make up for it by using the other hand or even the feet to accomplish necessary tasks.

If we think of these parts as different members of the church, we can see the importance of them. The pastor (maybe he is a right hand) gets lots of attention and he is often sent to schools or seminars for strengthening and learning, but the person who cleans the bathrooms (maybe he is a liver) is neglected. But what happens if the bathroom doesn’t get cleaned for a while? The body will suffer and people will stop coming to that church. Without congregants, the body dies. The pastor’s job can be filled by another pastor in the church and the church will continue, but if no one is there to replace the cleaner, then the church may actually suffer more than the loss of the pastor!

Life application: Be sure to thank the person who cleans the church. Let them know that they are appreciated.

Yes Lord! I am so happy to be in Your presence that nothing else really matters. The world is a great place and there are lots of fun things to do, but all of them came from Your hand. If these things are fantastic, then how much more are You who created them! The sweetest smell, the most beautiful sunrise, or a walk under a billion stars… these are but a mere reflection of Your beauty. Yes Lord! I am so happy to be in Your presence! Amen.

 

 

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