For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 1 Corinthians 12:14-20
Like I mentioned in the previous writing on the subject of “the
church,” God made us all different from one another. There is not one of us who
is exactly like anyone else, not even those who are identical twins. And, God
gifted us all uniquely, too. Even if we have the same gifts, he will have us
use them in ways that are uniquely designed for us, but never out of his
perfect will, and never in contradiction to the Word of God and its overall
message.
So, we shouldn’t try to be like other people, and we shouldn’t
strive to use our gifts in the same way they use theirs. And, we shouldn’t compare
ourselves or our giftedness to others, either, whether we are thinking we are
less than them or better than them. This is not a competition!!
I think that a lot of times people will say, “Oh, I am not
very good at…” because they want attention, and they want people to say, “Oh,
you are wonderful at that!” For, what may appear to be humility, sometimes, is
not humility at all, but inverted pride. But, that is not always the case.
Sometimes people feel they don’t belong to the body and that their body part is
not needed or necessary because others give them that message.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:21
Do you know that this
goes on all the time? Especially in today’s market-driven institutional churches,
where marketing schemes and business training surpasses God’s Word, it
definitely happens big time! So, if you don’t fit in with the modern business
model for how to do church, and for how to grow your church (business), then
you might be encouraged to “go someplace else” where you will be a “better fit.”
I have been told that several times, and I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
I believe the Lord is leading me to share this one example
this afternoon:
My husband and I had had a ministry to college age adults
out of our home for four years (a total of 7.5 years). We had made several
attempts to connect this ministry with a local church fellowship (an
institutional church), but with every attempt, the door would eventually close,
which I now believe was by God’s design – his intervention. This was our fourth
attempt.
We contacted this church to see if they would be interested
in partnering with us in ministry to college students. We met with them and we
shared with them our heart for ministry to college students, and we shared with
them what we valued at that time. Number one was teaching them the Word of God
in all practicality so that they could apply it to their lives. Second was to
get them involved in ministry, and to give each of them a part, something that they
could do, where they would feel that they were needed, wanted and valued. And,
that definitely fits with this passage of scripture here.
The church leaders agreed, and we began partnering together
in ministry. And, it went well for several months, maybe even as long as six
months until… One day the pastor called me into his office and he asked me, “Would
you say that your praise team would ‘draw in large crowds of people’?” My heart
sank. I had a feeling where this was headed. I asked him why he was asking me
that. Well, he said he had another praise team that he thought would “draw in
large crowds of people” and he wanted me/us to consider letting him replace our
praise team with this other praise band.
Although I didn’t feel it was right to replace our praise
team just to bring in another band, which would draw in crowds, I submitted to
the pastor, and I agreed to bring this before our ministry team, which included
some of these college age adults. And, then our ministry team met with the
pastor to talk with him about this. His response? “I would never do that.” So,
I asked, “Then what did you mean by what you said to me?” His response, “I
would never do that.” It was a non-denial denial, for he didn’t say that he
didn’t say that, he only said that he wouldn’t do that.
I had several subsequent conversations with him about this,
for I was still trying to ascertain why he would say that to me and then tell
our team that he wouldn’t do that, but he kept answering me the same way. And,
then he told the elders of the church about it, and then they demanded that I
meet with them privately, and they set a prerequisite for the meeting that I had
to admit that I lied about the pastor. But, I didn’t lie. I had no reason to
lie. Lying was not my practice.
So, I wrote to the elders, and I appealed to them to please
reconsider this, and to remove the prerequisite to this meeting, but they refused.
So, I had no recourse other than to not attend their meeting, because I could
not tell a lie. And, so they put me on church discipline. And, then my husband
and I and our college ministry all went back to our home, which I believe is
where God wanted us, and which is why he kept closing these doors.
But, was how they treated me fair? No! Was it just? No! Was
it loving? Definitely not. They were Christians. They were the leaders of the
church. And, they wouldn’t even give me a chance to defend myself against their
accusations. They just charged me as guilty and then they cast their verdict,
and then they executed the punishment without even hearing me out.
After that I made several attempts to get this reconciled
with them, but they stood by their decision. And, so today the Lord brought
this back to my mind, and so I sent a letter to the man who was the main leader
there, and I have asked him to make this right with me, so I pray God will
soften his heart and that he will be reconciled with me about this matter, for
it has now been 16 years since this took place.
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:22-26
But, God is good! He used this in my life, and many other
situations where I was treated unfairly and unlovingly and where I was
basically told, “We have no need of you!” and he has brought good out of them
in my life. Through each one of these situations where I was told I was not
wanted or I was accused falsely of something I did not do, God strengthened me
in my faith and in my walk with him, and he used each of these situations as
stepping stones in preparation for the present ministry he has given to me.
For, the Lord has me confronting sin, exposing lies, calling
people to repentance, calling people to obedience to Christ, and teaching the
truth of his Word, the whole counsel of God, daily, and he has been doing that
in my life for the past 13.5 years (daily). And, I would not have been prepared
to stand strong against the enemy, and against opposition, if I had not been
through some of the things I had been through.
So, although I was treated unfairly and unjustly, God
allowed this in my life to make me into who I am today doing what he has called
me to do. And, he encouraged me one day through this verse here where it says:
But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
For, I was definitely one of those parts which was lacking
in honor, but God gave honor to me by calling me to this ministry. And, when we
think of the body of Christ universally, and not just in the sense of one local
congregation, we realize that God puts us all in assigned areas within his
universal body, especially when we are rejected locally, so that there would be
no division in his body.
But, I believe with all my heart that God allowed me to be
rejected by so many local congregations and their leaders (within the
institutional church) because he had something for me to do outside of a local
body, but part of his universal body in writing what he teaches me each day and
putting it on the internet where people from all over the world can read it.
And, so I am needed now, and I am wanted, and I am treated with value, just
like was our goal to treat these young adults God had placed in our care.
You Gave Me Love
By Claire D. Cloninger
/ Archie Jordan
You gave me time when no one gave me time of day,
You looked deep inside while the rest of the world looked
away,
You smiled at me when there were just frowns everywhere,
You gave me love when nobody gave me a prayer.
That's why I call You Saviour ... that's why I call You
Friend…
https://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/bj_thomas/you_gave_me_love-lyrics-94713.html
(full lyrics and audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PKk7oXYXuU
(lyrics and video)
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