Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
February 27, 2022
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-20
12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14 Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. 15 If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. 19 If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? 20 But as it is, there are many parts but one body.
Good Morning! We are one in the Father, one in the Son, and one in the Spirit.
The Lord God made us all: unique, different, and precious. No one is the best, no one is the least, and no one is unnecessary. It is amazing that the more complex things are, the more reliant that they are on each part working together in harmony.
Consider the wonderful technology that we have available to us. We can hear from our neighbors around the world almost instantaneously. Of course, that is only true when each tiny circuit is working correctly. When the circuit is broken, we lose our connection. The more complex our machinery becomes the more things that can cause disruption in its performance.
Living in the community of faith resembles these same situations. The big difference is that emotions are now part of the equation. With machines, it’s all circuits and logic, but with people, feelings direct much of the drama. When one individual is struggling and is no longer part of the group effort, the loss of this member is felt by all. Regardless of why the one is not working, the result changes.
Sometimes, a person is sick. Other times, they are in need of rest or time away. Then, there are those times when they have emotional needs that are consuming all of their time. Finally, we must consider those who are experiencing spiritual uncertainty. As an individual, it’s easy to minimize our own contribution by thinking that what we do doesn’t really matter. If we’re not there, someone else will handle it.
There are two issues here. First, if someone else steps in to handle your part, then their responsibility is split and therefore less productive. Secondly, and more importantly, let’s consider the person who is struggling. We are gathered by Jesus as a community of faith so that we may support and nurture one another. When one is lost, Jesus taught us that we must find them and bring them back. Just like a gear that won’t turn if it has a broken cog, one community of faith needs all of us working together.
Can you guess what the glue is that binds us together? LOVE! Talk about love! The power of love! God’s love is available to all and God’s love is what brings us together. No matter how different we may seem from our brothers and sisters around the world, we are all children of God. We are all connected and members of one family, and as such all intricate, necessary parts of the community of faith. They will know we are Christians by our love!
Loving God, Thank You for loving us. Once again, we are struggling to understand how to love and support one another. Thank you for guiding us as we work to open our hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When I embrace who God created me to be, I can better serve God and others.
All are One! Pastor Liz
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