Bible Reading Challenge #36

1 Corinthians 12:12–20

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

One and Many.

These are the key words Paul wants us to grasp.

ONE:

You have been uniquely gifted by God. He formed you in your mother’s womb and shaped you with intentionality and purpose. No one is exactly like you.

MANY:

While you are unique, you are not alone. You are part of God’s global Church—made up of countless believers around the world—and also part of a local congregation that God has placed you in to display and expand His kingdom. It does not all depend on you. You are not on a solo mission.

In God’s perfect design, He assembles a diverse group of people to work together with a unified passion in a variety of ways. That is the beauty of the Church. We are not meant to be the same.

A church full of Jordans (or anyone else!) would have plenty of ideas, but not nearly enough clarity or follow-through. And that’s true for any of us—our gifts are intentionally limited so that we depend on one another.

A major point in this passage is that we must not focus on what we are not, but instead lean into what we are. Use your gifts for God’s glory and for the good of others. That’s the purpose.

If each of us remains faithful and obedient in our own lane—serving where God has placed us—the Church will operate in a way that is pleasing to God and fruitful in its witness.

Reflection Questions:

• Where do you see God using your gifts right now in the church?

• Do you ever find yourself comparing your role to someone else’s?

• How can you better celebrate and depend on the gifts of others this week?