2022_06_10 Insight Post- Emma Keeton
This week’s reading- 1 Corinthians 11-12
In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul reveals God’s plan for getting his work done. That plan is US, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in everyone. We have all been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit to serve one another “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 Paul likens this to the workings of a body. Each person has a role to play in the body and for the body to function no part can be MIA. For the overall health of the body, each part is present, and each part fulfills its role.
One of my bible’s headings in chapter 12 is ‘Spiritual Gifts and Unity and Diversity in the Body.’ God has made us diverse so each role in the church could be accomplished, but sometimes this diversity drives us to disunity when sin has its way. We can look around and see all the differences between us and feel detached from the body. Jealousy and envy work hard to keep us distant from each other, as does taking offense because of our dissimilarities. Paul says that our unity comes from honoring one another.
“But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so there should be no division in the body, but its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12: 24b-26
God created you uniquely. He did not love you any less than another when he gave you his spiritual gifts. He has distributed his spiritual gifts to us in a way that he saw fit, so we could build each other up in love. There is no room for greed, jealousy and envy here in the body of Christ. Let’s set our focus on something much greater-the work God has for each one of us.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
Emma Keeton
Prayer Team Lead