Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 29, 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 part of the one body of Christ!
I am learning new things and meeting new people everyday as I settle into my new community. It is always important, but also very interesting to discover the different talents that each of us have been given. When you begin to recognize that one individual working on their own is so limited compared to the many who make up the body of faith.
Imagine for a moment the parts of a coffee maker: the power button, the filter and basket, the water reservoir, the water spray head, the warming tray, and the decanter. Which part could you eliminate and still be able to make a good cup of coffee? Without the power button, no coffee could be brewed. The filter and basket are where we place our coffee grounds: no basket, no grounds, without the filter our coffee is full of grounds. Hmmm.
Well we obviously need the water for the grounds to become a liquid cup of coffee. Without the spray head diffusing the water many of the grounds would not be activated and would be thrown in the trash unused. The warming tray allows us to return to the coffee pot for additional cups of delicious coffee. Finally, without the decanter our coffee would go spilling onto the counter and floor.
Within the body of believers we need those who provide the energy and inspiration for our ideas to spring forward (the power switch). The teachers and caregivers of both young and old are like the basket holding and preparing others to create beauty when all the pieces come together. The filter allows us to focus on what is good and remove what is evil. The water is the life giving gift that comes from God, and the reservoir represents the fountain of never ending love. The warming tray keeps the message alive so that we can all return for nourishment as often as we need. Finally, the decanter is us as we are called to be filled to overflowing with God’s love so that we may fulfill the Great commission to go out to the ends of the earth and make disciples.
Within the body of faith, there are so many more intricate parts embodied within us so that we can love, support, nurture, forgive, and heal each other as Christ taught us. No one is unimportant in our mission. All have a part. Praise Be to God! When you think that maybe you have given all that you can, listen and let God lead you to a new role as it will be revealed to you. With all of us working as one, we can create and accomplish things that would be impossible without God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the members of the body of believers.
Loving and Caring God, Thank You for loving us. You have intricately woven us into beings capable of mirroring the love that Jesus taught us. Help us when we feel that we are no longer needed. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Each person has a part to play in serving God.
Use Your Gifts to Create Beauty! Pastor Liz
Comments