Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Arms vs Feet

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

Can I just say isn’t it amazing how intricately God works everything out? He builds on what He’s taught and reveals new stuff when we’re ready for it. I’m just amazed at how detail oriented everything is when there is so much creation with so much detail!

I didn’t even expect Ephesians 4 to go along with what I’d been learning, but when I checked back on it, there was so much to it that builds on and enhances the message of His love and loving others.

First, just to go along with the last post, Christ apportioned grace to each of us (Ephesians 4:7). He is the one who decides what and how much, and He is fair. He knows what each of us needs. Sometimes I can get upset about what someone else has been assigned to do. That’s dumb. They don’t have control over what Christ apportioned for them. So again, if you have issue with what someone else has or does, and naturally, we do from time to time, go to Him about it. Confess it. Find out how you fit into “the body”, seek Him to see what He has apportioned for you. And then move forward, knowing He knows each of us, knows what we can become through His grace, and be obedient in the task He’s given you right now. He’s pursued you, loves you, and longs to give you so much more than what you can find on your own.

Look to Him the “head” of the body for instruction. Thank goodness when my brain tells my arms what to do, they can go about their business because the foot is not upset it wasn’t appointed to be the arm and is now doing its best to interfere with the arms’ work. The foot knows I need it to be a foot. That it has important purpose even though it’s literally a lowly position. Because in the end, the knee, the arm, the foot, nor the stomach is the star. It’s about the body as a whole. And when I am absorbed in figuring out what everyone else’s parts and purposes are and either feeling like I’m not as important as them or they are not as important as me, I am keeping the body from doing what the head, Christ, has intended.

Each part is important, and each part is enabled with a purpose. I’m so glad God has shown me this lesson that my job is to follow what He has for me. From both sides of the spectrum, if I feel like I’m too important to do it or that I’m not equipped enough to do it, I am hindering His work. He apportioned it. He knows and sees the whole picture. So I need to trust Him and obey, because I definitely don’t want to be a hindrance to His body’s work.

I want to see and be amazed at His plans and how He’s worked everything out and used each of us for a glorious purpose. I want to celebrate with my fellow “body parts” because He values and equips each of us to work together when we are nothing on our own. How marvelous. How wonderful.

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:15

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