This week’s devotions are based on “We’re in this Together!” (WATCH HERE)
Not “just a stand.”
This past Sunday, each attender at the worship service picked up a Lego brick on their way into the service. During the message, I had our middle school students go through the congregation and ask for the Lego brick from each person in attendance. However, before the brick was turned over the student had to say, “We need you!” Every brick is an important part of the Body of Christ.
Once all the bricks were collected, the three kids went to work to form them into some representation of the Body of Christ. Their first iteration was the bricks formed into a corner angle. When asked what they represented, one of them said, “Christ is the cornerstone and we’re all built around him!”
Perfect! Great example of what the Apostle Peter wrote about in his first letter chapter 2:
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
But then I asked them, “Could you reform the bricks into something that makes a cross? The picture on this devotion is what they came up with. I asked them to describe their creation. One said, “It’s a cross.” I said, “That’s great! What’s this behind it?” To which the student responded, “It’s just a stand.”
“Hmm, just a stand?” I asked?
“To hold up the cross,” they responded.
“Would anyone see the cross if there wasn’t a stand to hold it up? Or would more people see the cross if the stand was holding it up?” I continued.
“Well, I guess more would see it with a stand.”
What a great teaching opportunity and the dialogue could not have illustrated the point more clearly. The stand was not “just a stand.” The stand was a CRUCIAL part of the whole. Without the stand, the cross would not be seen.
Paul reminds us that there are no “just a” pieces in the Body of Christ. We don’t have to have false humility or diminish our role. God has given us the gifts he wants us to have. Some of those gifts are more visible and prominent, other roles are weaker and less prominent…but each of them have the same purpose and value: To proclaim Christ to the world.
That really is the purpose of the Body of Christ – to proclaim Christ to the world. It takes all kinds of people with different gifts. God gives to each one as he determines and never says, “You’re just a…” but rather with confidence he says, “YOU ARE a key part of the Body of Christ. Without you, the body suffers and the mission to proclaim the Gospel suffers.”
So never underestimate your value and contribution to the Body of Christ. Sure some may be more visible and out front, but even what seems like the most menial task of support is an important and key part of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Apply: Have you ever diminished the gifts God has given to you by saying, “I’m just a…”? Remember that there are not “just a’s” in the Body of Christ. He has put you EXACTLY where he wants you to be!
Prayer: Lord thank you for arranging all of us as parts of your body to be exactly where you want us to be to do exactly what you want us to do for the glory of God and the advancement of your Gospel message. AMEN