A
Kingdom Partnership
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.”
It goes without
saying but I’ll say it anyway. While
we have an independent side within us, each of us is interdependent upon the
other. A body can’t function with just
one part or it would cease to be a body. A church can’t function properly with
one individual or it ceases to be a completely healthy church. A corporation or team cannot reach its
potential without others to help them. Each part is intertwined with the other
like puzzle pieces. Each one is critical.
Not only are we not capable of being our best without one another, we
will never find true fulfillment without one another.
Notice
how often the Bible references that idea. Continually it reminds us of our need to
touch others and be touched
Romans
16:16- “Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.”
1
Corinthians 1:10-11- “I appeal to you, brothers, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that
there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in
mind and thought.”
Galatians
5:13- “…serve one another in love.”
Ephesians
4:1-2- “Be completely humble and gentle; be
patient, bearing with one another in love.”
Hebrews
3:13- “But encourage one another daily…”
Hebrews
10:24- “And let us consider how we may spur
one another on toward love and good deeds.
Many
of you might be familiar with the story of the bricklayer who had to fill out
an insurance form and evident challenge that
came from trying to handle a situation on his own.
(We understand that trying to do a job alone in God’s kingdom will only bring
difficulty).
Dear
Sir: I am writing in response to your
request for more information concerning Block #11 on the insurance form which
asks for “cause of injuries” wherein I put “Trying to do the job alone.” You said you needed more information so I
trust the following will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer by trade and on the date of injuries I was working alone
laying bricks around the top of a four story building when I realized that I
had about 500 pounds of bricks left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I
decided to put them into a barrel and lower them by a pulley which was fastened
to the top of the building. I secured
the end of the rope at ground level and went up to the top of the building and
loaded the bricks into the barrel and swung the barrel out with bricks in
it. I then went down and untied the
rope, holding it securely to insure the slow descent of the barrel. As you will
note on Block #6 of the insurance form, I weigh145 pounds. But to my shock at being jerked off the
ground so quickly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the
rope. Between the second and third
floors I met the barrel coming down.
This accounts for the bruises and lacerations on my upper body.
Regaining my presence of mind again, I held tightly to the rope and proceeded
rapidly up the side of the building, not stopping until my right hand jammed
into the pulley. This accounts for the
broken thumb. Despite the pain, I
retained my presence of mind and held tightly to the rope. At approximately the same time, however, the
barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the
barrel then weighed 50 pounds. I again
refer to Block #6 and my weight. As you would guess, I began a rapid
descent. In the vicinity of the second
floor I met the barrel coming up. This
explains the injuries to my legs and lower body. Slowed slightly, I continued my descent,
landing on the pile of bricks. This
accounts for my sprained back and internal injuries. I am sorry to report,
however, that at this point, I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the
rope, and as you can imagine, the empty barrel crashed down on me. This accounts for my head injuries. I trust this answers your concern. Please know that I am finished “trying to do
the job alone.”
Sounds
a little bit like Wiley Coyote on the old Road Runner cartoons. He always paid a price. Since the enemy is the master of myths and
deception, he is going to try to move you into one extreme. This happens in
every area of life. People take
themselves too seriously or lightly. People become prideful or self-conscious.
People get angry at the wrong things and tolerate things that should make them
angry.
Verse 14-19 say, “Now
the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say,
"Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to
the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the
whole body was an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 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.”
Here, Paul tells us of
our tendencies when it comes to life. We believe that you can grow without being
involved…we believe that you can be involved without being connected. Neither
of those is true. Paul counteracts this thinking with a couple of ideas by
pointing out that tend to be the extremes that we fall into. We can’t do it
without you and neither can you do it alone.
We are dependent on those around us.
Whether arms, hands and feet or fuselages, pistons, and carburetors, to
reach the finish line, we can’t do it alone.
After all, it’s a lot more fun and a lot less painful, when you don’t
try to do the job alone
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1)
Why
is it our tendency to do things apart from others?
2)
Thank
the Lord for people in your life who make things easier
Consider reading the Word:
Copyright 2014- Terry Risser
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