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We can sometimes ignore bodily pain or discomfort for quite a while. Or we might delay our yearly physical, annual mammogram or next visit to the dentist, figuring we can put it off. But then our back goes out, we find a lump or a tooth sends out shooting pain. We realize that ignoring one part of our body has caused our whole self to suffer.
How we treat our body is connected to the way we treat the body of Christ. The apostle Pual writes in 1 Corinthians 12 that when one part of the body suffers, the other parts suffer with it. When we ignore the part of the body of Christ that is hurting, we might limp along (or function without noticing the pain too much) for quite a long time before we realize how deeply the suffering affects the whole body of Christ.
What if we could be more tuned in to the whole body of Christ? What if the apostle Paul is calling the church, not just then but also now, to listen for opportunities to help restore the parts of the body of Christ that are suffering?
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “Just L.I.F.E. (Liberation is for Everyone!)” by Angela T. !Khabeb in the July/August 2021 Gather magazine.