Your Church

The body is fascinating in its creation, complex in its make-up, and intricate in its design. Isn’t it mind-blowing that an awesome Creator could think of something as wonderous as the human brain where countless chemical reactions lead to electrical impulses that give us movement, emotions, memory, and speech? Every muscle, tendon, and neuron are crucial to the function of the body. The same is true in the body of Christ, the Church.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve struggled at times to find my place and to see my value, sometimes questioning if I belong and if I’m good enough. If this is true for you, can I speak truth over you? Jesus says that you belong! He says you are good enough! You are so valued by Him that He gave His life for you to belong to His body. His church.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body...” Paul goes on to describe the unique parts of the body and ultimately draws this conclusion: One part may not be like the other, but it is no less an important part of the body. God has created you - just as He did all things - in His image. He fashioned you with a plan and a purpose according to His design.

As Paul continues, he further affirms the value of each part of the body and teaches us the value of each member in the body of Christ. Paul says, “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” LISTEN UP! Here’s where it gets good. He says, “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.” I love how Paul specifically uses the words, “we think.” You see, nothing is wasted. What God says of us is greater than what we think of ourselves. No, let’s change that. What God says of me is greater than what I say is true of myself. If we can see ourselves and others through the lens of the Creator, then we can realize the value and purpose He calls us to in His Church.

It is not for us to say what we bring to His Church; that is for the Lord. 1 Corinthians 12:25-27 says, “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Let there be no question that you belong. Christ calls for people to be His Church, not a building. He places the value of His Church in you by the Holy Spirit, not the jobs we have, the paper in our wallets, our successes, or our failures.

I am thankful for the truth that Paul shares with us. He confirms our belonging and value by reminding us that God defines us. It is by the love and sacrifice of Jesus that we are brought into the body, His Church.