Daily Devotional - Day 23 (01/23/2024): One Body, Many Parts

Author: Sis. Joy Greer

One Body, Many Parts

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink [g]into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no [h]schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. - I Corinthians 12:12-27

Devotional:
We are all the body of Christ. Paul was letting the church at Corinth know that they are all one body, which meant they had to work together to function. Paul was letting them know that there is no part of the body that is greater than any other. Even the people who seem to be the least in the eyes of man are great in the eyes of God. God put the body together and no person should be saying they are above anyone else. It doesn’t matter your status, your title, your family name, your bank balance, your position, we are all equal parts in the body of Christ.
That is not to say that each part carries the same load. No, the hands don’t carry as much as the feet, but what God was saying is that each is necessary for the function of the body. Without the hands, the feet would be doing double work and that is not what God intended. He intended for each to have a part and that each part would make the body function seamlessly. Know what your part is in the body. Don’t try to be an eye when you are supposed to be an ear. Be the best eye you can be!

Prayer:
Father, thank you for my place in the body. Whether I am an eye or an ear or a hand or a foot, let me know my place, stay in my place and do my job to Your glory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.