Recently, in the middle of a heated light saber battle with Zachary, I hurt my thumb. I thought the injury was no big deal, but not long after the incident, it became obvious that it was a bigger deal than I thought. It turns out you need your thumb to do a lot of things. For instance, picking up a coffee cup. Unlocking your cell phone. Changing a diaper. All of these things require thumbs. And when mine was hurt, well, it stuck out like a sore thumb! (I guess I know where that saying came from now!)
I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 12:
“Indeed, the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 CSB
Just as there are no unimportant parts of our human bodies, there is no unimportant part of the body of Christ. Yes, preachers, teachers, musicians, and the like are important. But so is the person who visits the sick. So is the one who sends cards to a shut in. The one who leaves vegetables on someone’s front porch means just as much as the one who shoots a video devotional. We all have our part. And they’re all essential to the body of Christ.
I know what you may be thinking. “Well, no one notices what I do!” No, they may not. But your Heavenly Father does! Paul goes on to say:
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:21-25 CSB
Right now, our concern for each other needs to be great. We need to be “one anothering” as much as we possibly can even though we may be separated. In fact, I believe those of you who work behind the scenes may be even more important right now than ever before. You are needed. Your work is essential to us all. Paul says,
“So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 CSB
I learned this with my hurt thumb. With one finger down, my whole hand, wrist, and arm was overcompensating for it, which made all of those parts hurt, too. They were having to work extra hard and move in ways they weren’t used to so I could get my work done. When one of us in the body hurts, we all hurt. When one celebrates, we need to celebrate with them and not wonder why we didn’t get what they got. We are all in this together. We are one body. Even scattered, we are still one. We still have a great message and a great hope to share – Jesus Christ is Lord. You are essential. Keep doing the work! When you do, you strengthen the body and give glory to Christ!
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