“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.” (1 Corinthians 12:21-24)
Know anybody missing a few digits? It can happen fast, especially around big farm or construction equipment. One minute, you’ve got ten fingers. Then — chomp — you’re down to eight. Here’s the deal: The person who loses a few fingers can survive and adapt; they do okay. The finger, on the other hand, isn’t so lucky. It’s done. The rule of thumb is that a finger without a body is just dead skin and bones.
Paul said the same applies to Christians. We’re built to work together. Some of us are fingers. Some of us are elbows. Some of us are livers. But none of us can say we don’t need the rest of the body. We need each other to survive. If you’ve been ditching the rest of the body (meaning not hanging with other Christians), you’re going to start to shrivel up spiritually.
Here’s the other deal: Some of the glamor parts are expendable (fingers, arms, legs, eyes, etc.), but most of the “hidden” parts are essential (livers, hearts, rectums). The body really, really needs the “non-public” parts, or we’re toast. If your spiritual gifts are behind-the-scenes instead of up front, thank God that you are so important to the body.
Think: Do you ever wonder if you really need to go to church or spend time with other believers? What are the consequences for you trying to live for God on your own? What are the consequences for the body when you make that choice?
Pray: Ask God to help you understand your part in the body of Christ and to be glad for the part He made you.
Do: Cut off one of your fingers and watch to see how long it lives on its own. [Lawyer’s note: Do NOT cut off your finger! This is an imagination exercise. TheDailyDevo does not endorse or approve of actual home surgery as a learning exercise. Thank you.]