Small, but Significant
By Karen D’Amore
“So the human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ…Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:12, 27 (NLT)
By Karen D’Amore
“So the human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ…Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:12, 27 (NLT)
WHAM!!
“Holy Phalanges,” I screeched as my body flailed on the floor in torturous
pain. In the course of my inattentive stupor, my intermediate phalanges slammed
head on into a large inanimate object. Interpretation: not paying attention as
I exited the room, my bare, little toe collided with the wall.
A broken toe! How could something so small produce such debilitating pain? Six weeks post toe collision and I am still hobbling from the crippling damage to the tiny appendage. I never considered the significance of this small body part, until it was nonfunctional. Toes are integral to the body’s ability to balance. With compromised balance and symmetry askew, basic functions like walking were challenging. How enlightening that a tiny non-working body part could derail my entire body and unravel my routine.
The human body is an illustration of diversity and unity. Comprised of multiple parts, each part was designed to perform different functions. Paul likens the human body to the Body of Christ. He reminds us that, “the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…” (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).
We are each, who we are, by Divine Design. As members of the Body of Christ, we each have different functions and unique gifts to be used in service to the body. Your gift may be teaching God’s Word, encouraging those who are struggling, or praying for those in their weakness. Paul encourages us, “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:18).
We are all different. We are all important. We are all necessary. Just as the human body cannot balance without toes, the Body of Christ needs each member fulfilling their God-designed role to function properly. You might be an elbow. You might be a kneecap. Or you might possibly be a little toe! But be assured, no matter how small you may think you are…you are significant to the Body of Christ.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are feelings of insignificance preventing you from serving in the body? Ask God to reveal how you can become a contributing member.
FURTHER READING:
Ephesians 4:16; Romans 12:4-8
A broken toe! How could something so small produce such debilitating pain? Six weeks post toe collision and I am still hobbling from the crippling damage to the tiny appendage. I never considered the significance of this small body part, until it was nonfunctional. Toes are integral to the body’s ability to balance. With compromised balance and symmetry askew, basic functions like walking were challenging. How enlightening that a tiny non-working body part could derail my entire body and unravel my routine.
The human body is an illustration of diversity and unity. Comprised of multiple parts, each part was designed to perform different functions. Paul likens the human body to the Body of Christ. He reminds us that, “the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…” (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).
We are each, who we are, by Divine Design. As members of the Body of Christ, we each have different functions and unique gifts to be used in service to the body. Your gift may be teaching God’s Word, encouraging those who are struggling, or praying for those in their weakness. Paul encourages us, “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:18).
We are all different. We are all important. We are all necessary. Just as the human body cannot balance without toes, the Body of Christ needs each member fulfilling their God-designed role to function properly. You might be an elbow. You might be a kneecap. Or you might possibly be a little toe! But be assured, no matter how small you may think you are…you are significant to the Body of Christ.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are feelings of insignificance preventing you from serving in the body? Ask God to reveal how you can become a contributing member.
FURTHER READING:
Ephesians 4:16; Romans 12:4-8
Married
to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at
Craig Berns Salon. She’s a leader for
Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and a volunteer at the Wildlife In Need
Center.
