“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Rom. 12:3-5
My fingers only work when connected to my hand. My hand needs my arm. My arm needs my shoulder. All these parts belong to my body, even though they are individual members with specific functions. You remember the old song, “My foot bone’s connected to my leg bone. My leg bone’s connected…” and on, and on, and on it goes…lots of part making up one body. (Now the songs in your head like it is in mine.) The church works the same way.
We have been talking about the Church in these last few devotionals. We have seen that the church is not just a place we go to worship so we can grow and learn, it is also a place where we can and are cared for. On Monday we saw that the Church is also a place that we serve one another in love as Christ loved us. And now this week we will see that the Church is a place to belong.
Everyone, especially today’s teens, need and want a place to belong. We all search for belonging in all the wrong places but if we do not help out children to belong at church they will find a place to belong and it usually isn’t where we would have them. In fact, teen or adult we will find a place to belong like on line in a chat group or a gaming site where we are heard and not seen…which is okay for a while. But we need personal interaction or we become less than we should be.
We are created for community. “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” We were created to be together in our afflictions and our celebrations. “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (I Cor. 12:26-27)
We sometimes think of marriage as the ultimate community. However, earthly marriages point to a bigger and better marriage that is yet to come, the wedding supper of the Lamb, with His bride, the church (Rev. 19:7-9). The church is our community here in earth while we long for our real home in heaven. This is the place where we worship, where we use learn and grow, where we care for one, where we serve one another and now, the Church is the place we belong.
But to belong somewhere requires that we show up there to benefit from one another. Again, think of marriage, what would happen if (after you made your vows) you very seldom ever went home? Is that what God intended for a relationship of that importance? If you are not home, you cannot achieve the oneness and height of growth in your marriage relationship that God intended so that He is glorified. In the same way, if you are not involved in church, you are rarely able to become the type of Christian that God wants you to become. Let’s ask ourselves a couple of questions: Can you be a Christian and not go to church? The answer is; Yes, maybe. You can say the words but what actions do you display that let’s others know that they are important to you, that growing your faith is important, that keeping God’s commands are important to you?
Remember! Pay attention to this trustworthy saying, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” We need one another so that we can bring God glory as he prescribes!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
