In today’s devotional from InTouch Ministries – The Church: God’s Design – Charles Stanley writes about the significance of the church and how God uses it to reach people and transform their lives.
In scripture, the word body is often used to represent the church – a unified group of believers who have chosen Jesus as their Savior.
It’s through the body of believers that God’s purposes are accomplished here on earth. Individual Christ-followers make up the body and collectively, the body is able to make an impact on the world. The more ‘fit’ the body of believers is, the greater the impact it will have. Working together as a unified unit, the Christian church can make a huge difference in the lives of others. As a church, we can minister to both those who are inside the church and those who are not yet believers.
One Body but Many Parts
There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (NIRV)
Just as it’s important for the church as a whole to be healthy and functioning well, it’s important for your individual body to be healthy and functioning well. Your personal health and wellness is an important resource. In general, good health will better enable you to use the gifts and talents, that God has given you, to be of service to others. You’ll have more energy to serve. You’ll have greater function. You’ll have more stamina. You’ll be more alert in your mind.
When you are healthy, you’ll be better able to contribute to the work of the body of believers that make up the church.
God needs the church body to be healthy to accomplish His will in the world. He needs your personal body to be healthy as well.
So, today, I encourage you to make healthy choice to care for the body that God has given you.
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