[vc_row height=”small” el_class=”dailyBody” css=”.vc_custom_1465516518912{margin-top: -25px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/4″][us_image image=”27678″ size=”tnail-1×1″][ultimate_heading main_heading_color=”#5fc8d7″ sub_heading_color=”#5fc8d7″ alignment=”left” main_heading_font_family=”font_family:Allerta|font_call:Allerta” main_heading_style=”font-style:italic;” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:16px;” sub_heading_style=”font-style:italic;,font-weight:bold;” sub_heading_font_size=”desktop:16px;” main_heading_line_height=”desktop:15px;” sub_heading_line_height=”desktop:22px;” margin_design_tab_text=””]
When God invites us to be a part of His Body, he calls us to move beyond simply associating with others. He calls us to connect our lives with others.
[/ultimate_heading][us_separator height=”20px” size=”custom”][us_sharing providers=”email,facebook,twitter,gplus”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
There are Legos all over my house. My son tends to leave them on the floor of his room and I often find them when I walk in to kiss him goodnight. He loves getting a box of Legos, following the instructions, and building something magnificent. Recently, I was struck by the fact that each Lego creation he makes is simply the intentional linking together of individual pieces. Legos scattered about the floor are lone Legos, but they have the capacity to be so much more when they intentionally combine with other Legos.
By God’s good design, our lives function in the same way. We can choose to remain as individuals, but God’s intention is that we would connect with the lives of others to create something more significant and beautiful. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, the Apostle Paul writes, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Paul uses the imagery of a body when he describes what it means to be a part of the church. When we view church as body, we begin to see our lives as a part of a much larger whole – we are one Lego piece, joined with other pieces, creating a masterpiece. Indeed, the sum of our lives together is greater than sum of the parts individually.
When God invites us to be a part of His Body, he calls us to move beyond simply associating with others. He calls us to connect our lives with others. This joining together demands sacrifice – it means we no longer view our life as our own, but part of a larger whole. This joining together demands we keep in mind the reality that Jesus is the head of His Body – the church. This joining together means we get to be part of something much bigger. We get to be part of God’s ongoing creative work as we participate in the Body God is building, the story God is telling, and mission God is accomplishing.
Spend some time today and think about what it means for you to be part of God’s Body – the church. How might God be inviting you to move beyond mere association, to intentional connection?[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]
By Ryan Paulson
[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″]
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
