I had a proud mom moment this last week. Michael, my now four year old, was done playing with his little action figures and proceeded to move on to his new train tracks he had just gotten for his birthday when I walked in and noticed the living room being overtaken with toys. I quickly prompted Michael to clean up whatever he was not playing with before moving on to his next "adventure" and then it happened. Almost in slow motion. Michael reached over with his foot and snatched the little batman up with his toes and put it in the toy box. There are many things that Michael has repeated after seeing or hearing me but this by far was my favorite! I could almost here my dad's voice in the back of my head saying "pick it up with your hands; that's what you have hands for". Yes, you are right, Dad. That is what my hands are for- but it is much more fun picking up things with my feet! I just smiled at Michael and helped him pick up the rest of his toys, using only our toes.
Recently in conversation I was talking with a friend about how the Bible talks about the church, referring to her as the Body of Christ. The Body. Made up of different parts, each with their own unique functions, all adding value in their own way to the one Body. How amazing is that. I may not be called to spend my life as a missionary to third world countries or do Children's ministry, work a corporate job or teach in a classroom but I am thankful for all of the men and women in the Body of Christ that are. That is their function.
What would happen if your abdomen was tired of supporting your back and decided instead that it would rather function as the neck? Your body would collapse from a lack of support and your neck would fight against the abdomen to be the function of turning the head! Or what about the eye wishing to be the mouth? The ears wishing to be the heart? Or what about the toes truly wishing to be the hands? That isn't why God gave you toes, they may work in some limited ability to pick things up and pinch people (not that I have done such said things) but "that's what you have hands for"!
I love the amazing prophecies that are happening in churches around, I love the visions and dreams that men and women are seeing of spiritual things and there was a time long ago when I would brush those things off as being "not of God" because I didn't understand them. I would say that "this church" or "that group of people" were weird or some too practical. Not understanding that my hand doesn't have to know why my behind just sits there, or my ear just listens. It just has to rest assured that this body has the mind of Christ. The brain tells each part what it needs to do. When it is not obedient then God puts on his doctor's coat and does a little surgery on the body to fix it. And I have complete faith in God that He alone will fix the body however He sees fit.
Not only does the brain give function to each part, but the heart gives life to each part. The heart of God is to love. Everything should function OUT OF LOVE! Love your neighbor, love your enemy, love... love... LOVE! So my declaration for myself is to be in tune with what God asks of ME to do, to trust that He will guide and direct others to function in their calling, and to stop making judgments on whether I think something is of God or not. To pray for this body, that it will be the spotless bride that it was meant to be. To pray that we all stand in unity, putting aside denomination or opinion. To pray that I will surrender to the spiritual leader that God has placed in my life, knowing that they (he or she) was put there to keep me functioning correctly. And to pray that above all else, I function with the mind of Christ IN love. Because after all, God IS love!
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long
and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues,
they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
