The Word shared by Richard Hodges

The Body: Does your nose think it's less important than your eyes? Does your foot get disappointed because it's not your hand, always on show, getting manicures and jewelry? Does your ear wish it was an eye?

What if your hand decided to go its own way - like Thing from the Addams Family - saying "I'm going off on my own, the lone wolf, I don't need you!"? It may think it's gone, but it is still part of the body, it belongs.

Suppose your arm has eczema and your finger decides to endlessly scratch; your arm suffers; it bleeds, hurts and never heals. If the finger was tender, got help from the whole hand and arm, listening to instruction from the head, it could help the problem.

If you stub your toe, pain goes through your whole body.

Each body part has its own function and position; some on show, some hidden, all essential. Some parts are weaker and need support; these are just as important. Other parts are strong, but need help to keep that way. There is no doubting, despite their differing appearances and functions, they are all the same body.

We believers each used to live independently, call our own shots; but now we've entered into a large and connected life in which Jesus has the final say. We are a body, Jesus is the Head. We are now a part of Jesus' resurrection body, here to do God's work, we need to be refreshed and sustained at one fountain source - his Spirit.

"The old labels we once used to identify ourselves -labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free - are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

This makes each of us more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together

If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it."*

In short we all belong, we need each other. We cannot pick and choose parts, we are one body. God uses us, the body, to do His work. Whether it's locally or globally, we are connected through Christ's blood. We are not all in this together - we are this together. We are family and there's only one thing that can hold family together - that is love.

(* The Bible: 1 Corinthians chapter 12 -13).

New Life Christian Fellowship meet in Kilgetty Community Centre, 10.45 am on Sundays.

Please call if you want someone to talk to or pray for you, tel. 07827293781.