The Body
11:44:00 PMI serve a really really incredible God. Like, the more I know about Him, the more I love Him. Who He is, His character and attributes are so incredible.
But the thing that blows my mind the most is always His love for weak vessels. If you've been in the church for any amount of time, you've probably noticed that in the Body of Christ there are a lot of people who are saved with mental illness, social ineptness, aren't beautiful by the world's standards, and the list could go on to describe that the world would deam "unworthy" of their time or attention (and sometimes, even unworthy to live). And I'm not saying I'm above any of this- I told my parents I needed a psychiatrist when I was in 3rd grade. I'm the weakest vessel there probably is out there!
But seriously, there are people who have true issues, who are saved and blood bought. And God is so gracious as to save any of us, but what kind of a God goes out of His way to send His Son to earth to save people who can offer Him nothing (by the world's standards of things)? I know i've written on this a lot here because of how God has just blown my mind with saving my grandmom in her old age, frailty of mind and all. But I can't stop meditating on this part of God's character.
And this past weekend I was reading in 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
"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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.""the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indespensable"
Woah. Not only does God save "weaker" people, but in His awesomeness- He has made them indespensable to our body. Wow.
That is an incredible God. He doesn't just use the beautiful? The smart? The funny? The ones who can speak? The ones who have full use of their bodily functions? The ones with full use of their mind? He actually has made these "weaker" vessels part of the Body and somehow has made us need them.
I love God.
Seriously, our world does not think like this? I've only begun even somewhat thinking this way the last couple years. Lord, please continue to renew my mind and get that old way of thinking out. That when I see the weaker vessels in the body, when thier "inadequacies" frustrate me, oh that I would look with Your eyes, Your love, Your heart toward them! That I would see my need for them!
The Lord is moving. And I truly believe whatever it is He is doing, He is doing it in the Body. Ephesians has been blowing my mind lately:
"For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."- Ephesians 2:18-22God in us? God dwelling in us? I think there's a reality of what I have In Christ that I haven't grasped yet, and I know that it's something the Lord wants to reveal to me as I seek Him on my knees. And there's a "building together" that He wants to do and something He wants to work in us together.
All of us, the "stronger" alongside the "weaker"- because, honestly, it's only In Christ that any of us are anything. Our own righteousness is filthy rags. The genius would burn alongside the down syndrome child if God had not made a way for us to be saved.
Anyway, I'm learning to really appreciate the weaker members of the Body. And, no, I will not pretend that sometimes it's still not hard to love those who (in the world's standards of things) can offer me nothing. But honestly, the more I'm around, and challenged, and transformed by interacting with these members of the Body, the more blessed I am and I'm honesly grateful for them.
And yes, they stir me up to praise a Great God like ours who sent His son that "whosoever believeth in Him would not perish but have everlasting life" John 3:16.
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