But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:24b-27 (ESV)

Yesterday we explored the concept of community and what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ – a community of believers placed together by God. I noted yesterday that most of the time I am incredibly thankful for the Brothers and Sisters God has placed in my community, but sometimes I am not so thankful for certain members of the body and I’m sure at times, some of my Brothers and Sisters are not so thankful for me.

Why?

Because sometimes other believers are difficult to do life with and sometimes I’m difficult to do life with. I’ll bet that sometimes you are difficult to do life with too. Still, difficulties and all, God has placed us together in the body of Christ (v. 24b) which means He intends us to do life well together.

How do we do life well together?

We look to the same verse that tells us God put us together – verse 24b. In this verse we see that God has given each member of the body, each believer in your community, equal concern so that no member is considered greater than another. In fact, Paul shares that God has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it to ensure that all are considered equal.

For added context, prior to verse 24, in Chapter 12 Paul is discussing spiritual gifts and so verses 24-27 follow to state that not only is no one spiritual gift lesser than or greater than the others, neither are the people who possess them lesser than or greater than any others.

How do we do life well together?

First, we acknowledge that God has given every member of the body an important spiritual gift and purpose because all gifts from God are important and all purposes in His kingdom are important.

Second, we toss the seeds of insecurity and competition that the enemy plants right out the window, lay down our pride, and treat one another with equal concern, helping every member in the community. We open our hearts to each other so that when one suffers, we all suffer and we all seek to ease that suffering; when one rejoices, we all rejoice, celebrating that person’s blessings because God has blessed the whole body when He blesses one part of the body.

Sweet friend, how are you doing at embracing all members of your community equally? Is there a sticky spot of pride holding you back from coming alongside another in his or her suffering? A barb of jealousy preventing you from rejoicing with another when he or she receives a blessing?

Consider reflecting on those questions today before we dive deeper into God’s design for community tomorrow.

Father God, thank You again for the blessing of community, for Brothers and Sisters with whom I can do the things of life well. Lord, show me places where pride or jealousy, where haughtiness or bitterness are holding me back from weeping with or rejoicing with another. Teach me to walk humbly within the community You have placed me in, to view others as equal to myself and all of us wonderfully and beautifully made by You Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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