The Body of Christ

Happy Wednesday, Everyone. 😊 Isn’t amazing that we are part of the Body of Christ? Each one of us has been created by God before the beginning of time as we know it. Not only were we created by God, but we were created for a specific purpose during a specific time. And to fulfill that purpose, we have received gifts from the Holy Spirit.

Paul talks a lot about believers being the Body of Christ. That we are all members of one body, but with different gifts and different missions. I think His vision was that we would all work together and fit together, much like the pieces of a puzzle. Together, we make a whole body or puzzle. When we all willingly live into the mission and purpose that God has given us, that Body functions smoothly and beautifully.

Unfortunately, we don’t always do that. We figure someone else can do it – and maybe do it better than we can. We figure we’ve done enough and it’s time for someone else to step up and complete our mission. We may argue that others aren’t equipped by God to fulfill their purpose or that they have misheard what God wants them to do. 

As humans, we don’t always let God lead and have His way in our lives and in the collective life of the Body of Christ. But if we each decide we aren’t going to do what we have been called to do, where does that leave the rest of the Body? Where does that leave the world.

It occurred to me that we see a beautiful picture of this in nature. Each member of God’s creation does their “job” instinctively. We and other living creatures breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. We don’t think about it – it just happens. The trees and other plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They don’t think about it – it’s just part of how they were made by their Creator God. It is mutually beneficial. We need oxygen to breathe and they need carbon dioxide for the photosynthetic process. A process that also provides us with beautiful green scenery.

The butterflies and hummingbirds and bees naturally move from flower to flower, taking pollen with them as they leave one place and move to another. This allows other plants to grow and thrive. Our pollinators make the world a more beautiful place – and they don’t even think about it. They just do what God has called them to be and do.

I wonder why it is so hard for us to live into the purpose for which we were created. To do the job that God created us to do. To be and do all that the Body of Christ needs to bring His message of Grace and Love and Mercy to the world.

I wonder what the world would look like if all of the members of the Body of Christ would just not think about it – but just be and do all that God created each of us to be and do. Each of us, gifted differently, with a different part to play, one that was ordained for us before the beginning of time. What would our world look like? What would our congregations look like? What would our families and communities look like?

I pray that we would learn the lesson of the birds and bees and trees and flowers. Let’s just try to be and do what and who God created us to be and do. If we would all just live into our individual purposes, what would happen? Can you imagine it? I can – and it’s a beautiful world.

Blessings and Love, 😊 Ceri