We Belong Hereনমুনা

The underlying principle of the local church is the conviction that its members are interdependent. Any Christian that disagrees with this fundamental principle, is on his own. The individual and the church will then have to let go of one in order to satisfy the other.

The way Paul explains this theme, is through that of a human body. He argues that the foot cannot march out on its own, neither can the ear, etc. In doing so, Paul ascertains the idea of dependence on one another. The truth is, we live in a culture where believing that we need to be dependent on another person/ group of people is demeaning.

The Biblical view of a church challenges the idea of an independent, self sufficient individual. The very ethos of a Bible believing Christian must be to embrace interdependence over independence. This is crucial for spiritual maturity. Keeping in line with the Bible reading, a Christian will to well when his/her commitment to a local church is characterized by their willingness to embrace and accommodate people who are different to them.The local church was meant to have people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, struggles and behaviours, yet sharing a common faith and values.

There are parts of the body that seem more inferior to others, of not being needed and being excluded but that is not the case with the Biblical framework of the local church. God is the one who has sovereignly determined how the body’s members would be arranged.

Questions for Reflection

1. Are you ever tempted to think that your church doesn’t need you? Or have you ever interacted with someone who felt like the church didn’t need them? How would you apply Paul’s teaching here to that struggle?

2. Can you think of certain attitudes in your heartthat foster an individualistic mentality? Why do you think that way?

3. What will you need to do to realign to the Biblical pattern of Church?