“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 combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no divisions in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.“

1 Corinthians 12:21-25

–

AUGUST 8, 2024

The people of God living on planet earth are in the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. Our transformation will not be complete until we reach heaven. Because each of us is a work in progress, we miss the mark from time to time—actually much of the time. Therefore, even as the body of Christ we do not always work in harmony. We get so concerned about our own contribution that we discount the input of others. We are naturally self-centered and self-focused, which can easily lead to division.

Conflict happens. Disagreements occur. Misunderstanding will be encountered sooner or later. The challenge is not to avoid these situations—which is impossible—but to handle them constructively.

A key component to conflict resolution is the genuine expression of humility, modeled by no one better than Christ Himself. Although the Son of God, He made Himself nothing and became a servant. We are to do likewise. A real servant is okay fulfilling the role of a servant. So was our Lord.

There is a wide variety of roles that are played out in the local church. The people who serve are pursuing their gifting by the Spirit. Each one is significant. There is no task or duty that is more important than another. Our tendency is to give greater value and honor to the more visible roles, but all are equally worthy of recognition and appreciation. I am convinced that there are individuals doing indispensable work at WBC every week that I am not even aware of. We depend upon these people we do not even know. Yet God knows them, and they serve Him faithfully and humbly. We should go out of our way to find these individuals and affirm them.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • How have you grown through the resolution of a division between yourself and a fellow believer?
  • How have you come to appreciate the expression of faith by someone else that differs from your own?
  • Is there someone you know who fulfills an unseen role at WBC that you could affirm and support?

 

Church Reading Plan: Jeremiah 36 & 45; Psalm 9