If One Suffers, We All Suffer
06 January 2025
ENCOURAGE
Affirmation: I am mindful of the role I play in the Body of Christ.
This week, I experienced a gnarly finger wound while cutting some vegetables in my kitchen. I'll spare you all the details of how I even got there but just know there was blood... everywhere. In the moment, I was only thinking about getting the bleeding to stop, patching it up, and moving on with my evening. Once my husband and I got me bandaged up and the crime scene all cleaned (lol), I proceeded with my night as planned, however I very quickly noticed how just ONE cut had affected all of how I moved.
It s l o w e d me down. I had to become very careful and attentive with my movements in order to not make the pain or wound any worse. Since I am so well acquainted with my hands functioning normally all the time, I didn't realize how much injuring one finger would impede on its ability to function properly. I did not recognize how much I needed my middle finger to firmly grasp things, to wash my body, to wash my face, to get dressed, for typing, for clapping, for almost everything in my day to day life. This is why we must not take our health and wholeness for granted.
It's wild that because of just one minor injury, I had to train myself to avoid using that finger, so it could heal, and depend on my other digits to compensate for the lack. To sum it all up, it was an adjustment, and the Lord through this experience was reminding me of just how deeply interconnected His Body is and how interdependent each member truly is with one another.
As born again Believers, we have been grafted into the Body of Christ. Though we all must work out our own salvation and have an individual relationship with the Lord, we are all members of ONE BODY. Furthermore, how each of us decide to move, live, and have our being will greatly affect the other parts of this Body, for better or for worse. It is imperative that we are mindful of what we are bringing to the Body of Christ and understand how our walk can influence the health of the Body. The truth is if just one member suffers, we all suffer. Likewise, if other parts are thriving, we all can thrive too. As you enter into this new week, think about your place in the Body of Christ and what you are contributing to or receiving from it, and how that may be impacting you and the Body as a whole.
EQUIP
Meditation Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 12 (FULL CHAPTER)
John 17:20-23
BUILD
Call to Action: Reflect on Jesus' prayer for all Believers in John 17.
Why do you believe that oneness in the Body/amongst Believers is important? What would the Church look like if we were truly unified? What does it look like when we are not?
