You Are Needed and Belong
1 Cor.12:14-26 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body.” It would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of the smell be? But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts but one body. 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! On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 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, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together giving greater honor to the part 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.
The church of Jesus Christ is comprised of individual followers who have made a commitment to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Gospel preaching churches are filled with individuals who are pursuing relationship with Jesus, or they have already established a relationship with Jesus. Individuals and corporate believers comprise the Body of Christ.
In this passage, the apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthian Church how important relationships with one another are in the body of Christ. He likened the church to the physical body of humans and specifically noted the critical aspect of every part functioning as its designed. Paul also addresses the two fundamental thinking dysfunctions and lies of the Corinthian church related to relationships.1. “I don’t belong” and 2. “I don’t need you.”
When these distortions are embraced, the body of Christ stops functioning as designed by our creator. Every member is essential to the proper functioning of the whole body. The Body of Christ simply cannot afford to have paralyzed or AWOL body parts.
When we are wounded by others, and it is a guarantee we will be, it is pretty easy to slide into the believing and then acting on the lies of “I don’t belong,” and “I don’t need you.” The “I don’t belong” lie comes from a wounded heart that now rejects self. A million reasons are used to justify why one does not want to engage or commit to individual relationships or groups. They often simply feel not valued. The “I don’t need you” lie are other people’s words and deeds aimed at you or someone else which provides the excuse to disappear.
When either or both of these two statements are a reality, people will usually relationally disconnect themselves. Their internal truster is broken. Unfortunately, the common steps in the process of disconnecting in relationships are disappointment, disillusionment, discouragement, and then detachment. If any of these symptoms describe how you are feeling, it is time to do some soul searching to determine if you have or are falling into one of the destructive lies of the enemy. Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren, wants you to be relationally paralyzed or to disconnect from your natural or spiritual family. Rev.12:10 If you are not able to function in who God made you to be then those in relationship with you will also not function properly.
1 Cor.5:17-18 call’s the Body of Christ to be 1. reconciled to God and 2. to carry the message of reconciliation to others. We are instructed to forebear one another, forgive, and to work on healing damaged relationships. That can only happen if we address either of the two lies, “I don’t belong” and “I don’t need you”.
There is almost nothing more miserable than to live life without healthy relationships. That requires that I work on me first before focusing on other’s failures. When there is a healthy ME, there can be a healthy WE. We desperately need each other.
God thinks you are very important. You are very needed and valued by others. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy that are intended to push you into self-pity and depression. Rebuke the devil and take your thoughts captive. 2 Cor.10:3-6
God made you who you are. You cannot be something different or play a different role. You are unique and wonderfully made. Ps. 139:13-18 Joy and peace are found when you simply function as God designed you. You are loved, you belong, you are valued and so needed!
The church of Jesus Christ is comprised of individual followers who have made a commitment to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Gospel preaching churches are filled with individuals who are pursuing relationship with Jesus, or they have already established a relationship with Jesus. Individuals and corporate believers comprise the Body of Christ.
In this passage, the apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthian Church how important relationships with one another are in the body of Christ. He likened the church to the physical body of humans and specifically noted the critical aspect of every part functioning as its designed. Paul also addresses the two fundamental thinking dysfunctions and lies of the Corinthian church related to relationships.1. “I don’t belong” and 2. “I don’t need you.”
When these distortions are embraced, the body of Christ stops functioning as designed by our creator. Every member is essential to the proper functioning of the whole body. The Body of Christ simply cannot afford to have paralyzed or AWOL body parts.
When we are wounded by others, and it is a guarantee we will be, it is pretty easy to slide into the believing and then acting on the lies of “I don’t belong,” and “I don’t need you.” The “I don’t belong” lie comes from a wounded heart that now rejects self. A million reasons are used to justify why one does not want to engage or commit to individual relationships or groups. They often simply feel not valued. The “I don’t need you” lie are other people’s words and deeds aimed at you or someone else which provides the excuse to disappear.
When either or both of these two statements are a reality, people will usually relationally disconnect themselves. Their internal truster is broken. Unfortunately, the common steps in the process of disconnecting in relationships are disappointment, disillusionment, discouragement, and then detachment. If any of these symptoms describe how you are feeling, it is time to do some soul searching to determine if you have or are falling into one of the destructive lies of the enemy. Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren, wants you to be relationally paralyzed or to disconnect from your natural or spiritual family. Rev.12:10 If you are not able to function in who God made you to be then those in relationship with you will also not function properly.
1 Cor.5:17-18 call’s the Body of Christ to be 1. reconciled to God and 2. to carry the message of reconciliation to others. We are instructed to forebear one another, forgive, and to work on healing damaged relationships. That can only happen if we address either of the two lies, “I don’t belong” and “I don’t need you”.
There is almost nothing more miserable than to live life without healthy relationships. That requires that I work on me first before focusing on other’s failures. When there is a healthy ME, there can be a healthy WE. We desperately need each other.
God thinks you are very important. You are very needed and valued by others. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy that are intended to push you into self-pity and depression. Rebuke the devil and take your thoughts captive. 2 Cor.10:3-6
God made you who you are. You cannot be something different or play a different role. You are unique and wonderfully made. Ps. 139:13-18 Joy and peace are found when you simply function as God designed you. You are loved, you belong, you are valued and so needed!
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