S24P14 – The work of the Spirit: uniting
1 Cor. 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
The human body is an incredible thing. I recently went to the circus and saw this splendor in full action. We marveled at what the performers were able to do, things which seemed physically impossible. Certainly they were impossible to those of us in the audience. We can understand how practice and discipline converge to create strength and flexibility and muscle memory necessary to perform such feats of agility. Even so, we must marvel at how the individual parts of the human body work together to operate as one cohesive unit. Somehow, the acrobat’s mind takes the thought of flying through the air and doing three somersaults and grabbing on to a narrow bar and turns it into reality. Brain and body mesh to coordinate this incredible feat and execute it without error. That is the kind of impossible coordination the Holy Spirit carries out within the church body
The work that we are to accomplish corporately will not be the result of a single believer’s efforts or toil. Scripture is clear that the church body is made up of individual parts that are to operate as a single unit. Some are called to be hands while others are called to be feet and still others eyes and ears. Each has a specific job and is designed to work with the other parts in a certain manner. For that to be accomplished, we must be united in spirit. It is God’s Holy Spirit that allows us to achieve this necessary unity. The fact that we are called to unity in spirit by one greater Spirit is no surprise as we have been saved by the death and resurrection of one body. Now the Spirit unites us as we become the body of the Church and the bride of Christ. It is this unity that ensures that God’s kingdom rises without falling. The Holy Spirit keeps the kingdom united.
We may be tempted to spend our time in prayer asking God what He has for us to achieve individually. As imperfect people, we often will ask questions based on a self-centered focus. A better approach may be asking God what his purposes are for us as a part of the greater body. Yes, He has many things to teach us and many ways to bless us as individual children of his. But the greater work is that which will be done through the Church body when all of its members are aligned. We must take time to consider and seek that which God desires for us as a unit and not only pursue that which He desires for us as individuals. Without the unity of the body, the individual cannot succeed. Father, help us to forget our self-centered focus and seek what You have for us within the body, and guide our prayers in that direction.