Ephesians 4:16, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

If a part of our physical body is missing, there is a function not being met. True, sometimes another component can fulfill the role, but perhaps not in the easiest manner. Those in the church are the body of Christ. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians 12:27). There are duties and responsibilities for each member of this spiritual body. “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,  so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:4-5).

If any brother or sister in the body of Christ is not fulfilling his/her role, another in the body must accomplish that particular task. What happens if several members of the body are not doing their share? Perhaps we then see the opposite of the theme verse (Ephesians 4:16). There would be little or no growth of the body. How does that makes Christ feel?

Just as no part of the physical body is more important than another part, no member of the spiritual body is more important than another.

“If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?  If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:15-22).

All members of the church, the spiritual body, are important to God and should be important to one another.  It takes each member doing his / her share for the body of Christ to function properly.

As we in the body of Christ are each doing our share, we must not measure our abilities, our functions, by one another. “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves.  But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). We measure ourselves by the word of God, determining whether or not we, as individuals, are obeying the commands of God.

“We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth” (3 John 8).

Are you doing your share as a fellow worker for the truth?

By Dena Ivie
Dena and her husband, Charles serve with the church in Tatum, NM. Charles is the pulpit minister for the congregation of about 20 members from the local area. There are more articles by Dena on the ladies’ page of their website at http://tcoc.atspace.org/ladies.html