Working Together: Community Empowers the Church to Operate Effectively

By Gary Adyniec

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”—Romans 12:4–5 (NKJV)

When we think of the body of Christ, we need to remember what a body is and the function of the body. Paul starts us off by reminding us about our own bodies and their functions. Not all parts of the body do the same thing, and some parts are never seen, but are just as important as the parts that are seen. 

In 1 Corinthians 12:15–19 (NKJV), Paul says, “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”

That covers the parts of the body that are seen, but what about parts like the vertebrae and discs? These parts protect the central nervous system which controls our bodies so we can move and use our hands, eyes, mouths, and legs. What about our spleens and blood vessels that clean the blood and let it flow through the body? They are no less important than the parts that are seen and are all working together to keep the body alive.

With that understanding, Paul tells us it’s the same in the body of Christ. Christ is the head, and we are all members of His body empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of Christ on earth. And let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but exhorting one another (Hebrews 10:25), which is how we find our gifts and callings so we know to which part of the body we belong. Join a small group, and as you grow, your gifts and talents will become obvious to you and others. 

We are to come together to get revitalized in the church setting and to get a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, but this is not where the body of Christ operates. It’s when we go out into the world that the body of Christ should come alive, as believers from all over should be working together, no matter where they fellowship, serving the unsaved so when others look on God gets all the glory. 

Pause: Are you involved in things so you can be seen by others or is it to edify the body of Christ?

Practice: Use your talents without looking for approval. If you’re using your talents to further the body of Christ, then spend time praying how God can further use you and help you empower those you serve with and those around you.

Pray: Holy Father, you have gifted me for the body of Christ. Help me hone my skills and gifts for Your purpose and for Your glory as I give myself to You, serving with my whole heart, that Your body will be stronger and healthier as much as it is my part to do so. Amen.