August 23: A way to serve

Focal Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:12-24   

I like to think that I am a pretty unique guy in many ways. Like many men, I enjoy college football. But I also enjoy show tunes and Broadway musicals. Those two interests seem to live on opposite ends of the entertainment spectrum. There is one way, however, that I am like most men: I rarely look at the instructions when putting together furniture or anything labeled “assembly required.” My usual mindset is, “I’ll figure it out.” To be fair, that approach generally works pretty well.

There was one occasion, though, when I finished assembling an IKEA cabinet and realized I had far too many pieces left over. Unfortunately, they were not leftovers at all. They were essential pieces that belonged exactly where the instructions said they should go. Needless to say, that cabinet did not have a very long life in my house.

Paul makes a similar point in 1 Corinthians 12, only with infinitely greater importance. God has not assembled His church by accident. Every believer has been intentionally placed within the body of Christ and gifted to serve a purpose. Just as a cabinet is weakened when necessary pieces are missing, the local church is weakened when Christians fail to use the gifts God has given them.

That is exactly why Paul compares the church to a human body. An eye cannot dismiss the hand because it performs a different function. A foot is no less important than an ear simply because their roles are different. Every member matters because every member contributes to the health of the whole. Diversity within the church is not a problem to overcome — it is God’s design to embrace.

This passage also challenges a growing misconception among many Christians today: the idea that we can faithfully follow Christ while remaining disconnected from His church. The New Testament simply does not recognize “lone ranger Christianity.” The Christian life was never intended to be lived in isolation. The very gifts God has given you were not given primarily for your own benefit but for the building up of Christ’s body.

That means every believer should ask an important question: “Where am I serving?” God has uniquely equipped each of His children with abilities, opportunities, and spiritual gifts that the local church needs. Some teach. Others encourage. Some lead, give, show mercy, serve behind the scenes, or faithfully meet practical needs that few people ever notice. None of those ministries are insignificant because every one of them contributes to the health of the body.

Perhaps you have been tempted to believe that your contribution is too small to matter or that someone else can do what God has called you to do. Paul would say otherwise. The body is healthiest when every member is functioning as God intended. Rather than asking whether the church needs you, ask how God has equipped you to serve it. He has placed you exactly where you are for the good of His people and, ultimately, for His glory. B&R