Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

[Tek7]

For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. So the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-20, HCSB

God does not give all (or many) "flashy" spiritual gifts such as prophesying, but he does give all Christians spiritual gifts. Just because your gift may not capture much or any public attention does not make it any less valuable.

To provide a broader application of the passage: Don't refuse to get involved at your local church because you feel you don't have anything to offer. God has given you something to contribute and refusing to do so robs both you and the local church you attend (or should be attending) of greater reach for Christ.

In this passage, Paul highlights the absurdity of the shunning of service: "If the foot should say, 'Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,' in spite of this it still belongs to the body." If the claims of the foot sound ridiculous, then Paul got his point across. The question is: What will you do about it?

 

[Abba San]

Good point and great closing question. Thanks.