Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary (1 Corinthians 12:22 NKJV).
“You’re going to have to use one of those scooters,” my husband said as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot. “I am not!” I declared. In spite of my bold declaration, by the time I managed to painfully hobble from the car to the store entrance, I had to admit that my husband was right – I was going to have to use the scooter.
It seemed like such a minor thing, really. A broken toe. How could such a small thing cause such pain, and be so debilitating? Not only did I need to use the scooter at the grocery store, I also missed two days of work. And as I type this – five days after breaking my toe – I’m still unable to wear shoes, and am taking pain killers to get through the day.
I don’t think about my toes often. They just exist, and seem of very little value. Until I’m unable to use them, that is.
The same thing is true of various gifts in the body of Christ. All of them are necessary, even the ones that receive little attention. Or maybe I should say especially the ones that receive little attention.
Many of our meaningful times of worship wouldn’t happen without humble servants working without recognition. Take, for example, communion. Do you know what it’s like to fill up all of those little cups with grape juice or wine? And if you think doing dinner dishes is bad, consider what it is like to wash, dry, and carefully put away hundreds of small, breakable, glass cups. The work and care that goes into that is enormous, and most of the time, no one thinks about who has done all the preparation, and who will clean up the mess afterwards. (Can you name the person in your church that does it?) But without it, our times of worship would be lacking.
Perhaps you think more highly of the “up front” ministries in the church. You may even long to be in one of those positions of honor. Or perhaps you yourself are in a highly visible ministry. Although there is a purpose and plan for more visible ministries (they are part of the body, too!), Paul reminds us in the verse of Scripture above that every part of the body is important, and should be honored.
Next time you go to church, seek out those who do the behind the scenes work in the church. Ask around to find out who they are if necessary. Then go out of your way to thank them for the tremendous contribution they make to the body of Christ.
And if you’re one of those people who do seemingly thankless jobs that are considered to be unimportant by some – know that you are a highly valued part of the body of Christ. The church would hobble along without your contribution.
Father, we thank You that every single gift and every single person in the body of Christ is valuable. We acknowledge that You have created each person and uniquely equipped them to be who they are, for the benefit of others in the body. Help us to value people in the way that You do. Amen.
Thought: Do you value the gifts God has given you, even if they seem insignificant? How about the gifts of others? Write about this topic in your journal. (Note: If you don't like to journal, spend some time in prayer on this topic.)
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