1 Corinthians 12:27
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
What is church? Our behaviour has a lot to do with our understanding of who we are. For instance, if we think we are an institution, we will tend to emphasise our formal structures. I often hear believers refer to the church as an organisation. As a result, they tend to uphold policies at the expense of people. They are quite legalistic and insensitive to the spiritual, emotional or social fallout of their decisions.
Others think of the church as a political system. No wonder some Christians have no qualms about playing “church politics”. To them it’s all about catering to the will of the people. Popular opinion reigns supreme. Majority rule holds sway. Campaigning is the order of the day. However, that’s not how the body works, beloved! When one part (the “minority) suffers, the whole body is empathetic. So it is in the Church.
Likewise, if we view church life as a game, we’ll tend to manipulate things accordingly. We will tweak and tinker with church business the way a football manager chops and changes his team in order to overcome adversaries. Winning becomes the main goal at all costs.
Not so when we view ourselves as the body of Christ! Consideration of each other’s welfare is paramount. In all we do, we know we are dealing with precious lives. We care. We discern. We are sensitive. We know that visibly or otherwise, we are all connected. We succeed or fail, rise or fall and live or die together. We are the body of Christ!
Pastor Josh