If you spend much time on Facebook these days you've surely seen, or posted, the results of quizzes designed to liken you to a certain character from a movie or TV show. Maybe the quiz was designed to tell you what part of the world you would best fit in. (By the way, I took one of those quizzes - just one - and it said Latin America is where I fit best! Amen!)
Anyway, I think there should be a quiz like that to help you figure out what part of the Body of Christ you are. Wouldn't it be nice to just answer a few easy questions, click a button and get the answer? Then you could start to narrow down God's will and purpose for your life.
While it isn't as easy as taking an online quiz (and sharing it on Facebook, of course) it doesn't have to be a painfully difficult process either.
Here's what the Apostle Paul said about being the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 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. 16 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. 17 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 smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 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!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 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, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Each of us has been made with unique gifts and abilities that will complement other peoples' gifts and abilities. This can be a great encouragement to us because it means we don't have to be good at everything or know everything. The eye doesn't know how to hear and it's also no good at smelling things. But the eye has incredible value!
For me, I learned long ago that I'm not gifted at public speaking. I'll do it if I have to, or if I feel led by God, but I'd rather stay behind the scenes. I love talking with people one-on-one or in small groups. I love praying with people. Most of all, I love helping people with things! I'm pretty good at fixing things and I love working with my hands. I also like to travel and explore new places.
The God-given abilities and preferences in me help me to determine what parts of the Body of Christ I am and am not. I think of myself as Hands & Feet because I'm suited toward doing things. There are people who are extremely gifted thinkers and speakers, and those gifts are just as valuable as the ability to do or create things. We complement each other and the Body of Christ would be incomplete without everyone's gifts.
Earlier in 1 Corinthians 12 Paul lists some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit:
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Again, I find so much encouragement in this because I don't have to display all those gifts! Other people will complement my gifts so we can work toward the common good.
So, how about you? What part of the body do you think you are? There's no quiz, but just take a look at yourself and consider what you like to do, what you're good at and what circumstances God has put you in. Once you compile that information it shouldn't be too hard to determine your place in the Body of Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment