1 Corinthians 12 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“But now G_d has placed the parts, each one of them, in the body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-20

There are some who believe G_d doesn’t care about your decisions. They feel as long as you are a Believer, you can do whatever you want with your life. Your job, the person you marry, how many kids you have…some would say that G_d shrugs His shoulders and doesn’t care about your choices, as long as you’re a good person.

I happen to disagree, because the Bible teaches “calling”. Not only does G_d call people out of the World, inviting them to know Him personally. He also calls people specifically, to accomplish His purposes on earth. He has a plan, a place and a purpose for each of us. He calls us to specific places, to minister to specific people, for specific periods of time.

In his 1st letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses the fact that G_d places each one of us as parts in the “body” of Messiah. It is not up to us to choose, whether we will be a hand, a head, a mind, or a heart, as it were. We are created to perform specific functions within the “Body” of Messiah. Nobody is unimportant, and none are so important that their personal wellbeing takes precedent over the wellbeing of the Body, as-a-whole. In short, we need everyone, and yet nobody is irreplaceable, were they to cease to serve the body.

Picture a master jeweler, creating an engagement ring. His goal is to focus attention on the large diamond at the center of a ring setting. So, he surveys a palate of smaller gemstones, determining how & where to place them, within the setting, in order to best showcase the center stone.

Of course, that description is a metaphor, where the center stone represents Yeshua. The Jeweler is the L_rd. We are supporting gemstones, and the ring itself is the Gospel. As the engagement ring plays a very important role in a groom’s proposal to his bride-to-be, so the Gospel should be presented with thoughtfulness and diligence to non-believers. After all, Yeshua is described as the “Bride Groom”, and we, the body of Messiah, are the “bride”. (Revelation 19:7-9) How well do you fulfill your “supporting” role in the greater scheme of presenting Yeshua to the lost, unbelieving World?

You may feel like an insignificant chunk of coal, but G_d sees you as a jewel. As I mentioned earlier, you matter to G_d. At the same time, you may feel like you should be the center of attention, but that is Yeshua’s job. We each have an important role to play, but it must always be a supporting role. We exist to work within our specific callings, in unity, to glorify G_d through focusing attention and worship toward Yeshua.

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Wednesday, September 11, 2013