ODJ: You’re Needed

September 21, 2016 

READ: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary (v.22).

In 2015, Derrick Rose, an All-Star guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA), faced another surgery after he tore the medial meniscus in his right knee for the second time in 15 months. The meniscus is a relatively obscure part of the human body, yet this essential piece of cartilage not only threatened Rose’s career, but also hurt his team’s chances of a championship and dashed the hopes of the city where he plays. What a large impact from such a small thing!

As we consider our own bodies, we can relate, for we need every part to pull together for the common good—even those we seldom think about. When was the last time you contemplated your meniscus, retina, or cochlea? Yet when these become inflamed or torn, their searing pain can cripple us.

Paul said that what’s true of our human bodies is also true for the body of Christ. There are no unnecessary parts. The internal organs we think about the least are the ones we may need most. We can lose a limb but not our lungs, a hand but not our heart. “So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen” with the shield of our rib cage (1 Corinthians 12:23).

There are no expendable parts, for “God has put each part just where he wants it” (v.18). Think about that for a moment. God has placed you in your local church for a reason. You have a role that other members depend on. It’s why they miss you when you’re not there.

The next time you gather with God’s people, look for what needs to be done. It may not be a role on the platform. It may be something like serving in the nursery or actively listening to those who are hurting. Do it for Jesus, as if His body depended on it. Because it does.

—Mike Wittmer

365-day plan: John 18:1-24

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Read Romans 12:5-21 to learn how God may have gifted you to serve His church. 
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How are you serving the body of Christ? How does it bring Him honor and glory when you use the gifts He has given you?