Body Parts

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ….  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many….  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.…  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!”.…  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 division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.…  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  Paul, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 

Every person has specific agendas, based on his or her specific expertise.  Our knowledge, experience, values, and frame of reference make us biased about virtually everything – it’s inevitable.  This bias affects our vision and perspective, our judgment, and our actions daily.  And, in actuality, there is not anything essentially wrong with being biased.  The problem begins when we cannot relax in our defenses long enough to consider the knowledge, experience, and values of another person, potentially an expert in an entirely different area than our own, with a different perspective.  The strength and solution comes when we can, in fact, draw upon the resources of the intelligent and experienced minds around us, reasoning together, to circumspectly consider how to make the best decisions with what we all know and value.  The political and industrial realms give us vivid examples, whether negative or positive, of these truths every day.  As a believer in the body of Christ, the Word admonishes us to value what each “part” of the body has to offer, in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.  Let not pride, bitterness, or even anxiety get in the way of us functioning together as a body, with the mind of Christ, for God’s Kingdom and for His Glory.  Each part of the body is weak in some way, needing the others.  And, each part of the body is strong in certain ways, to serve the others.  Relying upon one another in humility and openness is the one sure way to go forward in our eternal purpose, making the best decisions we can, as we are ultimately guided by the Holy Spirit together.  Therein lies our strength, the joy of the Lord, as we consider one another in love.