“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in
particular.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27
Paul writes to the Corinthian church saying “concerning gifts, I would not have you ignorant.” The
reality is that we as mankind can often be ignorant, and sometimes, willing
ignorant. The devil will pervert that which the Spirit gives, and cause destruction
wherever he can. He would have us believe that in doing the will of God,
and using our gifts, we are proud and haughty. He would have us think
that humility is always coupled with silence and meekness with
littleness. Furthermore, he would trick us into thinking that because we
have no “obvious” gift, then by default we have no gift at all and therefore a
right to sit on our hands. This is not
so, the devil is a liar.
The apostle Paul gives us the analogy of the physical body to
help explain the diverse gifts that are given by the Spirit. Your eye,
your hand, you little toe, each have a specific place and function on your
body. A designed purposed, and it was created by God for that
purpose. However they do not operate autonomous, but fall under the
command of the head of the body (the mind). The hand does not reach unless
the mind gives it instruction, nor the mouth move, or the eye blink. They
each work together so the body can move and function; so the body can
accomplish what the mind wills. So, we, as sanctified believers are to be
members of the body working together to accomplish what Christ would have us
do. This is the function of His church;
to be Christ on this earth. Now, let us
pause for a moment and consider this; if the hand is doing what the hand is
built to do does it have anything to glory of? Certainly not, and is it
wrong for that member to work and do as it was meant to do? Certainly
not, the teacher should teach, the preacher should preacher, he who can help
should help, to do so is no uncommon thing and to shrink back from this duty is
not humility but unwise and unprofitable. You have been called out of sin
and into righteousness. You have been gloriously changed and it is God
that will direct you to do His will and help you to be the hands and feet of
Jesus Christ. But how to know your gift
and function within the body of Christ?
I fear we as Christians, make the mistake (I know I have) of
thinking. What is MY gift or what is MY talent. We being to think
and analyze, saying within, “what can I do for God?” That is to say, what
can I accomplish, where do I fit. Am I a
preacher? Am I a teacher? Take care in
this line of thinking. In the sanctified
life, any ambition, even Christian ambition, which is not in the will of God
can be a detriment to your spiritual life. Some may enter the body and
want to be a preacher or a church leader; always manipulating and striving to
this end. This is counterproductive, for if we are striving to our own
ambition, we are not doing what we are called to do. Let us leave off,
seeking, looking, and striving for MY talent for God, and seek rather for the
gift which the Spirit gives. The question is not “what can I do for God?”
But rather, “God, what would you have me do?” Seek the will of the Father
and serve the body. You will find in
doing so that you are never without employment in the work of God.
In this mentality we find the presence of humility, meekness,
obedience; and in this mentality we find the absence of pride and
arrogance. For it is no great thing for the eye to see or the ear to
hear, is that not what you were made to do? So with the Christian, the
service to God, in the will of God, whilst seeking God is nothing to glory in,
but in this we find God gets the glory. This was the life of Christ, and
after all we are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
