In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are
actually the most necessary (I Corinthians 12:22 NLT).
In the Body of Christ the weak generally understand that
they need the strong, but do the strong understand their need for the
weak? Does the head on a physical body have
difficulty comprehending that it is incomplete without the hands and the feet?
God seems to have programed into the DNA of the Church an inter-dependence
where the parts that seem to be least vital to its maintenance are actually the
most necessary. This strain of thinking
is prevalent not only in the New Testament but also in the Old as well.
In the first chapter of Judges the tribe of Judah was
told to lead the way into battle. Judah
was the most numerous and powerful tribe, but they asked their neighbor,
Simeon, the least significant of the tribes to go into battle with them. It was the cooperation of the first and last
that day that brought the military victory over the Canaanites. The head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t
need you.” (II Corinthians 12:21b NLT)
There is a spiritual dynamic missing if all parts of the
Body of Christ are not honored and included in our pursuit to reach the
world. This is true for individuals and
their gifts and callings, but also for churches and the roles they play
corporately in the Body of Christ. We
need the large churches and resources and the ministries they available to
us. But we sometimes forget that we need
the small church and the faithful pastor or missionary who serves on the
backside of nowhere. It may be that faithfulness,
perseverance, and commitment can best be learned where one labors in relative
obscurity. These character traits are
desperately needed as we mentor our new converts. Remember, Jesus gave himself to twelve and
then three people. Look at the
multiplication resulting from this strategy.
If you are a
head you may know things but never get there to tell any one. If you are a foot you may arrive with nothing
to say. If you are head, look for a
foot. If you are a foot, look for a head
because without each other you will never reflect the full image of Christ to
the world.
Pray with me. Lord, help me
to see my need for others in the Body of Christ. In His
name I
pray. Amen.
Ken
Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing
Email: kenbarnes737@gmail.com
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