You BelongSample

You Belong to the Body

As believers, we are part of something that is much bigger than ourselves. We are the Church— who is represented metaphorically as the body of our Savior. 1 Corinthians 12, tells us that the body of Christ is made up of many parts, suggesting that the roles of each believer will vary according to the gifts God has placed in that individual. God has placed a gift in each of us. Now it is our responsibility to seek God, discover our gift, develop it, and use it for His glory. No matter how large or small our role may seem, always remember you play a vital part in the kingdom of God. 

Discovering your role can be quite difficult. A simple place to begin would be to examine your passions. Because God gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4), passion and purpose are often related. If you're still in the process of discovering your purpose, there is a very good chance that it is tied to your passion. 

In other cases, purpose and pain are more closely related. For instance, think about the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was informed that the wall of Jerusalem had been destroyed. When he heard this news, he sat down and wept and mourned for many days. Nehemiah was pained that his city walls were wrecked. After much prayer and fasting, scripture tells us that he went on to help rebuild the wall in just fifty-two days. My point is, Nehemiah's purpose was directly tied to his pain. He was called to the very thing that broke his heart. Perhaps, your purpose is tied to your pain. Take a moment to consider this: God may be calling you to minister out of the most broken places in your life. 

Whatever the circumstances, God has a purpose for you in the body of Christ. We, as the church, have been given a mission to "go and make disciples of all nations,” according to Matthew 28:19. However, it is important that we understand that the church does not exist for us. We exist for the church, and the church in turn exists for the mission of Christ. You belong to the body, and so does your gift.